


Switch

by Origins7210



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Welcome to Sanditon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 72,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26926285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Origins7210/pseuds/Origins7210
Summary: Alternate universe - present dayIn a bit of a role reversal, Charlotte Heywood, a fashionable Londoner, finds herself in Sanditon, and encounters Sidney Parker, as the seaside resident and affirmed anti-urbanite. Do their stories still bring them together? Can their attraction transcend their innate resistance to each other's circumstances?
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 1140
Kudos: 631





	1. Chapter 1

Charlotte Heywood awoke, hung over and a little unsure of where she was. Last night’s room service tray still had the uneaten dinners for two, but the champagne was all gone. James was a good time but only after 6pm. Looks like he was already up and at the gym. Morning with James invariably combined regret and renewals of resolutions long broken.

Fortunately, she woke early enough to head home to dress before her first appointment: an aging gastropub on the fringe of suburbia recently purchased by an ex-model friend. She had been in the model’s circle of friends a few years back, and now that his modeling career was on the decline, he was grabbing random business ventures to secure some kind of relevance, and Charlotte was asked to consult on how to make the bar a success.

Bars weren’t normally her thing, but hotels weren’t going through a renaissance of reinvention in this part of the economic cycle. So she had to take what she could, and branch out as a consultant for all types of businesses.

She arrived early by a half hour, grabbed an espresso at a kiosk nearby, and logged in to check social. And of course, the first post to show up in her feed was a picture of James, posing next to some Instagram model outside a coffee shop. That must have been about an hour before he called Charlotte last night, asking for a late night trip out to chase down a DJ she’d never heard of.

This was getting old. She didn’t have very high expectations for the men she’d socialize with, and as such, she wound up with some pretty low performers. Sure, they were all good-looking professional types, and probably highly sought-after commodities to a certain type of woman in society, but they were all the same. They looked at her as a piece to be collected, which was ok. She had no desire to be in a relationship - too much work, not enough reward.

After waiting for a good half hour, she again checked her phone, and found an email - not even a text - from the bar owner.

_Ooops sorry! Can’t make it. Photo shoot running long. Please don’t hate!_

This too, was getting old. She hated working with models. Even back when she was still in the fashion world, models were an unending source of frustration. Always late and/or high, flakey as hell and a never good for a paycheck. If they hired her, they’d always try to get her to work for free “for the exposure.” Actors were just as bad. Or was it just the actor she married?

That was the beginning of the end in her mind. Her drama-filled six-week marriage to Evan Shay - yes THAT Evan Shay, the one you or your younger sister had a crush on during the boy band years - that was the subject of all the tabloids. “ _It-Girl and Bad Boy Tie the Knot!_ ” “ _Shaywood Hot Love Affair!_ ” “ _Shaywood On the Rocks!_ ” “ _Charlotte Catches Evan with Model BFF!_ ” Suffice to say, that was another reason she hated models.

She wasn’t sure how she became labeled an It-Girl. Through sheer will and an unbelievable work ethic, she got into fashion school at the age of 17 and somehow found herself photographed more than her designs. After a coincidence of being at the same party as Prince Harry, and being snapped in a candid with him as if they were close, everything went in a weird direction, and her fledgling design career was usurped by parties, red carpets, and a whirlwind romance with Evan.

After the annulment, she couldn’t take any more of the London press, and took off for New York, and then the Caribbean, where she hid out with her best friend from school, Georgiana, who had just taken over her family’s hotel. Between the two of them, they had renovated the entire place, and managed to make it the must-visit hot spot for the ultimate selfie-seekers.

It was the Pyretic Reign Festival that cemented the hotel's reputation, not because the festival was a success, but because the A-listers and one-percenters stayed at the hotel, and for five straight days posted nothing but gorgeous selfies at the hotel's many jaw-dropping vistas. When a paparazzi shot of a pop star and her bevy of girlfriends at the hotel went viral, the place was booked for three years solid. A few months ago, Charlotte bailed out of the venture and returned to London, hopefully to an amnestic public who had forgotten the missteps of It-Girls of yore.

She put her phone down, and frowned. Now that her morning was free of obligation, she opened her notebook and started scrolling through the rest of the emails - mostly reminders of upcoming PR events that she had no intention of attending, invites to openings, friends of friends who wanted her to please please please like someone’s post on Facebook...

Oh, hold on, what was this? An email of a different tenor.

_Dear Miss Heywood, I’m writing to inquire if you would consider a project outside of London? My family and I run a resort here in the coastal town of Sanditon and are looking to completely make over the hotel to appeal to a younger hipper in-crowd, and would love a consultation with you! For more information, please see our website and Facebook page! Would you be willing to come for a visit and meet with us? I’d like to follow up before end of week, if you don’t mind! Perhaps we can schedule something for you to spend the weekend with us to get a better sense of our resort’s personality! Cheers! Tom Parker_

This email was adorable. Were there any periods at all, or just exclamation points? “Hipper”? “In-crowd”? These were things her parents would say, if they were alive that is. Perhaps it could be a nice respite from the indecisive, flippant and unfocused clientele she normally associated with, who frustrated the hell out of her for pretending to listen and then completely ignoring all her recommendations and advice.

So this was how Charlotte wound up dragging her friends Clara and Esther to the shore the following weekend. They took her Cayenne, and made it in extraordinary time (the success criteria of any business trip).

“There had better be an excellent wine cave,” Clara said, as they approached the hotel. “I haven’t been this far away from civilization in years.”

“Save me your drama, Clara, you’re getting to spend time at the spa at the sea.”

“Well, _I’m_ headed to the pool, to get some sun and check out the scenery,” Esther said.

“Scenery being a euphemism, right?”

“Naturally.”

“Oh, that must be Tom Parker there.”

A tall sandy blond man looking very enthusiastic greeted the women, opened their doors and effused, “Welcome ladies, welcome to Sanditon! I am Tom Parker, your host for this weekend. Hope your trip from London was smooth. Leave your car with the valet, and your bags with the bell hop. Your rooms await! We’ll take care of it, don’t worry!”

Whoa, he’s coming in hot, Charlotte thought to herself.

“Hi, I’m Charlotte. Thank you for the invitation. Allow me to introduce my friends, Clara Brereton and Esther Denham.”

“Excellent! Excellent! Allow me to take you on a tour of the resort.” At this point, Clara and Esther quickly blurted out nonsensical excuses and ditched Charlotte like a bar tab.

“Yeah, no worries, you’re welcome,” she called after them. She let out a small sigh.

“First off, let me introduce you to the wonderful staff here.” He led her into the offices off the side of the lobby. “This is the one and only Mary, our chief of staff and also my wife.”

Charlotte beamed in reaction to Mary's warm smile, and reached out to shake her hand. "How nice to meet you!"

“And this is Sidney, CFO and my brother.” Hello, snack. 

“When we head down to the cafe, I’ll introduce you to Arthur, my other brother.”

“Wow, a real family business. You guys are like the Jonases. Do you sing too?”

They blinked at her. “What do you mean?" Sidney asked.

“Oh, just a poorly thought out joke. Sorry.” This was not going well. “So uh… what’s the big event this weekend?”

Tom gave her a pleased look and responded with his eyebrows raised. “We have the annual Sanditon flower show tomorrow and Sunday.”

“Oh…” Mild panic was settling in. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

Mary laughed. “You needn’t be polite, Charlotte, this is why we need you, my dear. This town is far too geriatric to bring in much business for a spa.”

Charlotte laughed nervously. “Right. Ok, well, the good news is there are a lot of improvement opportunities!” She tried to make fun of the cliche, but again, the Parkers looked at her expressionless.

“So… Tom, shall we continue? Nice to meet you, Mary, S...Sidney.”

“Nice meeting you too,” they replied.

After Charlotte and Tom left, Mary turned to Sidney and asked “What do you think?”

“I don’t know," he shrugged. "I mean, she nearly got my name wrong.”

“Well, I doubt that was intentional. I don’t know much about these consultants, but they say she turns everything around.”

Sidney had no reason to doubt. And he had no reason to believe either.


	2. Chapter 2

Sidney’s typical day consisted of meetings, emails, calls, lunch, followed by emails, meetings and calls. After work was gym, dinner, and reading; sometimes class at the martials arts academy, the pub, and reading.

But today’s special guest was throwing the schedule off. The entire Parker clan was expected at dinner with the London guests. Arthur was pulling out all the stops to create a gorgeous chef’s tasting menu that would showcase his skill, or at the very least, the willingness to try new trendy dishes. Sidney knew Arthur was hoping to turn the restaurant into a foodie paradise, so he was expecting a rich and heavy meal.

He wasn’t much of a foodie - he found it much too affected. Having just returned from a stint with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Cameroon, Sanditon seemed like the apex of the first world and its problems, and the living human manifestation of first world problems had just been hired by his brother Tom as a consultant for the resort. She looked like she just stepped out of a Bacardi ad, and he was guessing she’d never been anywhere without Wi-Fi.

Something about Charlotte lodged into his consciousness and bothered him all day. The combination of dismissiveness and youth-obsessed tunnel vision that was just so typical of these young professionals was grating. He was sure he wasn’t that much older than she, but he knew without a doubt he was in a different mindset. He hated to draw lines between Londoners and the “real” people, but it was young women like hotel business consultants that really contributed to these stereotypes.

Given his foul mood, he was determined to make it to the academy for class before dinner. The gym was fine for most days, but on days when he needed to blow off steam, he needed the discipline of sparring to help him focus, control his emotions and release the irritations of the day. Jiu-jitsu was his preferred art. There was no way to allow for distractions when someone is trying to choke you. Fortunately, his friends Will Babington and Frank Crowe were also at class and were going to join him at the dinner. He was sure he couldn't sit through an entire dinner with the London girls with just Tom and Mary to provide a buffer.

Class was brutal - again - and he knew he was going to pay for it with bruises and sore muscles the next day. Fortunately, no black eyes tonight so all he needed was a shower before dinner.

“So who are these people we’re meeting?” Babington asked.

“It’s a new consultant out of London that Tom hired to revamp the resort - make it appeal to younger ‘influencers.’”

“Fucking Gen Z. How pretentious to call yourself an influencer,” Crowe said, packing up the last of his gear.

“It’s an industry term, I guess," he shrugged. "I don’t know, I’m not even on Facebook.”

Babington laughed. “You’re not exactly old, you know. You both just love being grumpy, so you can feel superior.”

“She's cute, though. And she brought two friends.”

“Oh, you didn’t mention it was a woman. I have an entirely different grooming routine if we’re meeting women,” Crowe stated, setting his bag back down and pulling out a few additional toiletries.

“Legit cute, or cute but crazy?” Babington asked.

“We’ll see. She said like five words to me, so can’t say for sure. But you know the demographics, so make your own conclusions.”

“Sounds like you already have, brother.” Crowe and Babington exchanged looks.

Sidney hadn’t been the same since he’d been back from Cameroon. He was always the conscientious one out of the three, abandoning the professional world for a life of being a do-gooder. He came back to Sanditon to help with the family business, after Tom finally admitted he was overwhelmed trying to keep the resort up by himself. And while he loved his family, friends and his own history in the town, Sidney couldn’t help feeling mild disgust at the ridiculous privilege and willful ignorance of its residents - especially the real housewives of Sanditon, as he came to call them. It made him a drag at parties.

Crowe and Babbers noticed the change immediately, and had tried to get him back into the dating world. Unfortunately, that only led to more time spent at the academy, and subsequently, a few unintentional injuries - both his own and those of other students unfortunate enough to show up to class following one of Sidney's disastrous dates. Crowe suggested Tinder, but the town was too small, and there was too great a risk of someone’s mom or sister stumbling across his profile. Or worse - an ex.

No matter, as Sidney wanted to focus more time helping with the business and spending time with his nieces and nephews, whose pure innocent joy in merely existing eclipsed all other problems in his mind. Alas, they weren’t going to be at dinner tonight, so he'd have to find a way to integrate with the adults.

The three men arrived a bit early and decided to have a drink at the bar while they waited. From there, they could see the guests at the pool, and Babbers gave a crooked smile.

“I like what you’ve done with the place, Parker.”

Sidney turned to see what had caught his eye and spotted three women by the pool. One of them was Charlotte, but knowing Babington’s preference for ginger girls, he knew exactly which one Will would be talking to at dinner. 

“Come on, let’s go introduce ourselves.”

As they approached, Sidney noticed how Charlotte's soft dark curls flowed around her face, and for a moment, he wanted to run his fingers through them, and sweep her hair off her golden skin. Charlotte looked up from her phone, and smiled. “Oh, hey. We were just on our way up to change for dinner. These are my friends Esther Denham and Clara Brereton. They’ll be with me this weekend, so hope you don’t mind if we’re hanging around a lot.”

“Of course, I assumed that’s why you’re here,” he noticed she didn't use his name. Maybe she forgot.

“I’m Sidney Parker, and these are my friends Will Babington and Frank Crowe. Don’t feel obliged to change for dinner. This isn’t Downton Abbey.”

Crowe and Babington were already chatting up the women, neither of whom responded to Sidney. Charlotte spoke up, “Ah well, it is after six, so I doubt our poolside coverups will be adequate, even if it’s not a white tie affair.”

“Don’t feel obliged to change on our behalf,” Crowe mused. 

Esther gave him an odd look, “I think we all might feel less objectified in proper attire." She turned to Babington and her voice softened, "Also you boys are making us look bad. We can't have that.”

Once the women had walked away and were out of earshot, Clara turned to Esther and gasped, "What was that? Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you? 'You boys?'"

Esther smirked, and "I don't know, just a little fun."

Clara then turned to Charlotte and teased, "And what's up with tall, dark and hot? He looked at you like a steak."

"Hm. You think so? I was getting a chilly vibe from him, actually."

Once everyone had gathered at dinner, Tom seated Charlotte in between Sidney and himself. Then Arthur and his personality came out of the kitchen to greet everyone, grinning ear to ear.

“Good evening, friends! I’m Arthur Parker!” he went around the table and gushed to each of the women, all of whom instantly wanted to claim him as a BFF, and began describing the menu for the evening.

"We pride ourselves on our local, seasonal fare, so all our seafood and sea vegetables come from a supplier right here in Sanditon! We'll be starting with a platter of oysters on the half shell with yuzu citrus mignonette. Following that, we'll have a starter of langoustines and blue crab with samphire and a konbu foam. Our main dish will be a wagyu ribeye, with cavatelli in an uni sauce. And finally our dessert will be a pluot tartine with rose water ice cream."

"Good lord," Clara practically exploded with excitement. 

It was an impressive list of dishes, and Clara would end up taking pictures of every morsel. Arthur knew he'd done well for himself, and was smiling with his entire body.

Everything was delicious, and the wine pairings were perfect. Charlotte was in a great mood, and found herself rather enjoying the company of Tom and Mary who were quite sociable. She looked down at Esther, and was surprised to see her pouring the charm on poor Will who probably had no idea what was coming.

By the time dessert rolled around, Tom could hold back no longer.

“So what do you think, Charlotte? Can you help us here with the resort?”

“Well, it all depends on what you consider your end goal, Tom.”

“More business, of course!”

Charlotte saw this process was new to Tom, and she’d need to be more prescriptive. “How much time are we working with and what do you think your budget is for this?”

“Ideally, it should be done yesterday, and budget-wise, well, whatever it takes, eh Sidney?”

“Uh, I don’t know if your definition of ‘whatever it takes’ is the same as Charlotte’s. I am pretty sure it isn’t the same as mine.”

“Spoken like a true CFO! Isn’t he great?” Where’d this man get his enthusiasm, and why didn’t Sidney inherit that trait as well? “We need for this resort to have a new fresh feel, and to be the source of revitalization for the entire town.”

Charlotte thought about such aspirational goals, and figured dinner was the wrong place for this conversation. “Ok, well that is certainly something we can work with. It will probably be helpful to define some personas to get an idea of who we're targeting.”

“Personas?” Sidney asked. There would need to be more wine if he was going to get through all the jargon.

“A profile of your customers that you want to attract,” Charlotte replied. “I doubt you’re trying to appeal to anyone local, right?”

“And why would you assume that?”

“Well, I noticed that Sanditon is heavily populated with retirees - well-to-do, perhaps, but an older demographic that is certainly not going to renew itself as time goes on. I assume you’d want to make this a destination for the city types who don’t have enough time to get away on a proper holiday, but want to relax and indulge in their hedonistic side not too far from town.”

Sidney looked irritated. “And what makes you think that sounds like it will actually improve anything here? ‘Hedonistic’ city kids don’t really sound that great to me.”

“I didn’t say anything about ‘kids,’ so I’m not sure why…”

“But that is the group you work with, correct?”

“I work with all…”

“On-trend, selfie-taking, trust fund kids.”

Tom attempted to interject and steer the discussion into less confrontational waters. “Well, to be fair, we have a trust as well, Sidney.”

“It’s not the same, Tom.”

“Whoa, ok, time out,” Charlotte tried to stay centered. “I’m not sure where this is coming from, Sidney, but your brother asked me here for a consultation. If you’re not comfortable with my approach, or with any of this discussion, that’s totally fine. We haven’t signed any agreements, and there is certainly no obligation to work together. So maybe this isn’t a fit, and that is certainly your and Tom’s prerogative to decide as the business owners, but if I am to be engaged in this job, it will be extremely difficult to succeed if there is someone actively undermining the work.” She quietly held her breath for four counts and then exhaled, willing her pulse to slow. The rest of the table was quiet.

“Sidney,” Tom looked over, his eyes pleading. “Maybe we reconvene on this topic tomorrow? After a night’s rest?”

Sidney turned back to his wine glass. He hadn’t intended to be so combative, and he wasn’t sure why he took it out on this young woman who hadn’t really done anything except respond to his brother’s request to come visit for a weekend. 

“Excuse me, I think I need a bit of fresh air,” and with that he left the table. 

Mary got up and sat down in Sidney’s place.

“I'm sorry, you’ll have to excuse Sidney, Charlotte. He’s in charge of the numbers for a reason.” She tried to give a reassuring smile.

“You don’t need to apologize for him, Mary. You and your family need to determine what is right for your business, and I can see that he has his own thoughts about how things should be.”

“That may be, but I think his view may be too affected by his time abroad. But regardless, this is probably something we should talk about tomorrow.”

Charlotte was curious why international travel would make anyone act like such a dick, but that didn’t matter. There were dicks everywhere, and geographic location, socio-economic status, age, gender, none of that had anything to do with it. Some people were just assholes.


	3. Chapter 3

After dinner, Tom and Mary excused themselves saying they had to relieve the sitter watching their kids, but they urged the women to join them for brunch the following day. Crowe and Babington invited them to the bar for drinks, and so that’s where they found themselves for the next hour or so.

“What happened to Sidney?” Esther asked.

“Oh probably off being dark and stormy,” Crowe replied.

“So he’s the brooding type, normally? He didn’t bite my head off because he has a problem with me specifically?” Charlotte asked.

“I’m not sure what that was,” Babington responded. “Uncharacteristic.”

That meant that he did have a problem with her, Charlotte thought. That irritated her more than she was willing to admit to herself, so she decided to call it a night.

“Are you serious, Charlie?” Clara only called her Charlie when she was drunk. “Alright, but stay away from the minibar! That's where they'll get you.”

As Charlotte left the restaurant, she looked out at the hotel grounds and was surprised how bright it was outside. The moon was full this evening, and the sky was clear - perfect for a walk down to the beach. She noticed earlier that there was a walkway down to the shore, where during the day, guests could lounge and surf. She stepped out on to the patio, surprised at the warmth of the evening, and chastised herself for not taking advantage of the proximity to the beach sooner. She wanted to feel the water on her feet, even if it was freezing.

The path was well-lit, but even without the lights, the moon was almost bright enough to read. Standing at the edge of the waves, she was surprised how loud they were. Rhythmic. Hypnotic. Purifying. She sat down on the cold sand and listened, allowing her thoughts to slowly wash away with the sounds of the tide. She exhaled and let the pressure of her day ease off gradually.

It was in this trancelike state that she nearly lost her shit when someone - decidedly a man, a well-sculpted muscular man - suddenly emerged from the water, naked and glistening. Sidney Parker.

“Whoa!” She jumped up, and tried to avert her eyes, yet they both knew she’d seen everything. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were there. I didn’t mean to scare you that much.”

“You just wanted to scare me a little?”

“Do you mind handing me that towel behind you?” She looked around and saw a pile of clothes and a towel right behind where she had been sitting. She picked up the towel and tried to hand it to him with as much diplomacy as she could muster while keeping her eyes politely averted.

“What are you doing swimming at night? Isn’t it freezing?”

“I needed to clear my head. And I like it cold.”

“That’s... unique.”

“Haven’t you ever had an ice bath when your muscles are sore?” Wait, say more about ice and your muscles.

‘And why naked?”

“I thought I would be alone,” he said flatly.

“Oh sorry," she felt accused. "I, also, thought I would be alone." An awkward pause followed as he dressed.

“What happened to the others?”

“They’re still in the bar.”

“Sounds like them. Look, I wanted to apologize for how I came across at dinner. Hope I didn’t make you feel too bad.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why would you think you could make me feel bad? I’m a professional. This is just work. Don’t flatter yourself in thinking I can be thrown off just by comments from you.”

He gave a look of bemusement. “And yet if you’re not thrown off, why are you so agitated?”

“You’re naked, for one.” 

“Yeah, you shouldn't stalk your clients.”

"Stalk?! I just wanted to go for a walk in the clear night."

"Alone?"

"Well, _you're_ out here alone. Seems like you'd understand why someone else would have the same idea."

"You seem rather defensive."

"This is probably _not_ the most professional situation to be in.” Or not unprofessional _enough_.

“Oh, come on, Charlotte. It’s not like this is the most upstanding line of work you're in.” Oh no, he did not.

“What does that mean?”

“Your expertise is in partying. Your clients are club owners, or party promoters. That whole industry is just frivolity.”

For a split second, she stood there mouth agape and blinking. “You’re out here in suburbia and you think my work is frivolous?! Did you come up with that sitting in your semi-detached with the garden gnomes? You guys were the ones that asked _me_ to come out _here_. I don’t need to justify myself to you!”

“We’re paying you to tell us how to run our business. So yes, I think you do need to justify yourself.”

“You should have done your due diligence before I got here. Don't worry, this is a limited engagement. I’ll be gone tomorrow. I shouldn't have expected any progressive ideas here.” She headed back to the resort without a look back, and Sidney cursed himself for sabotaging his apology - the whole reason he went out for a cold swim in the first place - and possibly the resort’s recovery.

* * *

Charlotte: _I think I fucked up._

Esther: _What happened? I thought you were going to bed?_

Clara: _Come back to the bar. I’m still here. Frank just ordered another round_ 🍸

Charlotte: _Oh, I’m definitely not doing that_

Esther: _So how’d u fuck up_

Charlotte: _I went down to the beach for a walk, and accidentally came across Sidney swimming_

Clara: _Hot_

Charlotte: _Naked_ 🙈

Esther: 😲

Clara: _YASSSS so you went back with him??_ 🍆💦

Charlotte: _No! He’s my employer. Or was. I don’t know, I think he hates me and I’m not sure what I did that made him distrust me_

Clara: _Maybe bc u snuck up on him while he was swimming?_

Charlotte: _I didn't know he was there! Ugh I know I sound like a creep. I doubt they'll hire me now_

Esther: _Well, is it really up to him? Isn’t this more Tom’s decision?_

Charlotte: _Good point, you guys gotta help me look good tomorrow at brunch, k?_

Clara: _Duh, it’s us. Of course we’re going to look good_ 😎

* * *

When Sidney got home, he Googled Charlotte Heywood. He wasn't expecting to get so many results nor so many pictures - some excruciatingly embarrassing. He hadn't heard of Evan Shay, but clearly he was a big deal at one point. Among all the headlines from Hello! and Daily Mail, he also found a few of articles of note. 

_From Scene-Maker to Kingmaker. "Once the subject of tabloid fodder, Charlotte Heywood has quietly turned her life around the way she's been turning her clients' businesses around..."_ Bloomberg News

 _30 Under 30. "In the months since Charlotte Heywood has returned to London, three boutique hotels have credited her in a completely overhauling their brand, making short work of what would normally take months, if not years..."_ Forbes

 _Youngest Hoteliers to Watch._ _"Georgiana Lambe and Charlotte Heywood are responsible for vaulting the Blue Avalon Resort and Spa in Antigua beyond a five star resort and into legendary status among Hollywood's trendiest stars..."_ Wall Street Journal

  
So she had some legitimacy. Meanwhile these vacation pictures from Bora Bora though…

Babbers: _Where’d you go?_

Sidney: _Swimming_

Babbers: _Oh, ok, were you going to tell anyone so we would know where to find you if you drowned?_

Sidney: _I’d like to remind you I was a life guard for 5 years_

Babbers: _A drunk lifeguard? Cuz you seemed off at dinner_

Sidney: _Yeah, sorry, Miss Selfie Stick was getting on my nerves_

Babbers: _Was it something she said or just her boobs?_

Sidney: _Babs… come on_

Babbers: _The tan legs then?_

Sidney: _Ok, a little. But seriously, how can I expect much from someone who’s barely old enough to rent a car?_

Babbers: _She’s Mrs. Evan Shay, or used to be. She probably has a lot of influential friends._

Sidney: _So you knew she used to be married to some celeb?_

Babbers: _Yeah, it was headline news for awhile. You were probably out of the country_

There was a pause as Sidney advanced through more photos of Charlotte with her friend Georgiana at a hurricane relief mission in Barbuda.

Babbers: _Sid, what’s the real issue? Being back?_

Sidney: _I guess_

Babbers: _Still? Look, enjoy yourself a bit, otherwise you’re going to be useless to anyone else, including your family._

Sidney: _I ran into her when I was swimming_

Babbers: _Well played, Parker_

Sidney: _I think I just pissed her off_

Babbers: _Shrinkage?_

Sidney: _Hey!_

Babbers: _It happens to the best of us_

Sidney: _No, I think I wasn’t kind and she was unkind in return  
  
_ Babbers: _About the shrinkage?_

Sidney: _Seriously?_

Babbers: _I’m sure you can fix that. She was clearly into you_

Sidney: _Why do you say that?_

Babbers: _Because I was there_

Sidney: 🙄 _Ok, well I guess I can try to make amends at brunch._

Babbers: _See? You’re already having brunch. Normally that’s like 6 dates into a relationship._

Sidney: _This is not a relationship_

Babbers: _Whatever you say_ 😉

With that, he tossed his phone aside and called it a night, picked up his current book (rereading Homer's _Odyssey_ ) and fell asleep to the sensation of undulating waves.


	4. Chapter 4

His words cut Charlotte deeply. It was frustrating as hell to be perceived as both inexperienced and washed up at the same time.

When she first returned to London from Antigua, she did not want to rely on old social contacts for her business, but she had no other avenues, or really any other expertise.

After breaking from Evan, she thought she was starting anew by enrolling in business school in New York, but she was ridiculed by classmates for not coming from a finance/accounting/consulting background. When they found out she was married to an actor/ex-pop star, they started calling her Gossip Girl and Shaywood. She once walked in to lecture and caught a couple of students snickering over an old tabloid photo of her and Evan at a club, his arm around her but his eyes checking out someone else's bum.

Georgiana was her only true friend and her saving grace. Growing up in Antigua, she had no idea who Evan Shay was, and she couldn't care less about Charlotte's background. Together, they partnered on most of their assignments, and entertained themselves with New York's music scene in their spare time. So Sidney’s comment about partying hit a nerve because it was true but also, unbeknownst to Sidney, it undercut her friendship with Georgiana.

She missed Georgiana now, who would probably tell her a goddess like Charlotte can’t always be benevolent, and to channel her inner dragon and burn them all until they worshipped her. And she was sure Georgiana would give her hell for letting a mortal like Sidney get under her skin.

Even so, perhaps it would be best to stick to assignments in the city going forward, where she could at least disappear among the millions of others. Here in Sanditon, there was no escaping Sidney, since the Sanditon Resort and Spa was the largest business in town. 

She dressed for the gym and went to Esther's room to see if she was ready to work out, and was greeted by a "Not now, sorry!" followed by muffled giggling. She went to Clara's room, saw the Do Not Disturb sign, and felt a tinge of loneliness.

She went to the gym, and ran for a solid 30 minutes before no other than Sidney Parker walked in. He nearly completed his U-turn back out the door upon spotting her, but Charlotte called out, "Don't pretend you can't see me."

He stopped and turned around. "Oh, hi!" he replied mockingly. "I didn't notice you there."

"No swimming this morning?" she said between breaths.

"No, there's this woman who keeps stalking me and I'm kind of scared of her."

She laughed in spite of herself, and slowed to a walk as he got on the treadmill next to her. 

"Ok, well, I guess I'll go back to my frivolous life now. I have a brunch with some entitled trust fund kids later this morning."

She didn't wait for a reply, and he watched her leave, wondering why it mattered to him that she wouldn't stay.

* * *

"So, where are Will and Frank?" Charlotte asked her friends as they entered the restaurant's patio, and headed toward Tom and Mary's table.

"Whatever do you mean?" Esther asked innocently.

"Frank left around 3," Clara replied nonchalantly.

"Apparently you both had better evenings than I. Let's hope the Parkers are still interested in me, and don't have me arrested for being a sexual predator."

Tom was already on his feet, jogging over to greet them.

“Good morning, ladies! So glad you could join us!" He gestured to three smartly dressed children sitting politely at the table. "May I introduce Alicia, Jenny, Henry and the baby’s name is James. He’s sleeping so we are trying very hard to keep it that way.” 

“Hello, girls! Hello, Henry!” They were the cutest children in their fancy little brunch outfits and the women couldn’t stop taking selfies with them. Arthur came out of the kitchen and joined them with a bottle of champagne. 

“So we are graced with the presence of the chef today!” Tom exclaimed.

Arthur was as effusive as ever, and explained all the brunch options to the guests.

"Continuing with the 'Endowments of the Sea' theme from last night..." Charlotte nearly shot champagne out her nose. 

"...we have an Eggs Benedict with Norwegian salmon and caviar, prawn and octopus ceviche, buckwheat waffle sandwich with avocado and spring anchovies, and truffle fries with smoked cod's roe."

"My Instagram is going to be LIT!" Clara exclaimed.

“Where’s Sidney?” Arthur asked.

“Don’t know. He left after dessert was served last night, and then we didn’t see him again,” Mary answered.

“Shame, what a waste of a tarte,” Clara sighed. Esther's nearly spit out her water.

Charlotte said nothing, and per their agreement, Clara and Esther made no mention of swimming.

“Clara, I saw those pictures you posted. Those looked incredible! Tom, did you see her photos?” Arthur gushed. "And coincidentally, we are fully booked tonight for dinner!" 

“Yes! My posts from dinner last night had the highest engagement numbers I’ve seen in a long time! Those langoustines were gorgeous. You’re fortunate to have access to such excellent seafood here.” Clara was doing exactly what Charlotte hoped she would.

"Clara has a pretty good size following, so these are getting a lot of visibility," Charlotte said. "But if anything comes of our consultation this weekend, we can easily get more attention from the food bloggers," Charlotte said. 

"If? Are you not interested in this project, Charlotte?" Tom asked, looking a bit hurt.

"Oh, I am. I just was unsure if 'the management' here is interested in partnering with me."

"You're referring to Sidney's comments last night," Mary said and gave Tom a disappointed look. "Sidney has his role as CFO to keep us in check, but if it were up to him, we wouldn't take any risks to change up the brand."

"Charlotte, I really want to see the resort flourish. I love this town, and I think so many others would too, but we have to give them a reason to come. We won't be able to do that by keeping the status quo. Sanditon can't survive without a new generation of growth. If you're interested, we are all onboard to wherever you take us." Tom's enthusiasm was infectious and it was hard not to want to be involved with people so personally vested and interested in cultivating a community.

"I'd love to be a part of that, but please talk it over with Sidney and make sure he's ok with it," she answered.

"Oh he will be! That is most excellent news! I can't wait to tell him!"

And as if on cue, Sidney walked up, wet hair, freshly showered and shiny. 

"Sorry I'm late," he said, clearly not sorry he was late. The table looked up, and he suddenly felt the appraising eyes inspecting him.

Arthur laughed heartily. "You look like you scrubbed off the night! Have some champagne" he offered a glass. 

"Charlotte wants to be part of the team, Sidney! Is that ok with you?"

Charlotte held her breath. Was he going to say something about her being a stalker? Or pervy voyeur? 

He looked her in the eye, as if he knew exactly what she was afraid of, smirked and said "If this is in your vision, Tom, and if the proposal works with what we can afford, then I don't have objections. She seems to know what she’s doing." 

"Wonderful!"

Tom toasted the table with his glass, and the group responded in kind.

As Sidney sat down, Charlotte furrowed her brow and said “I thought you considered my work frivolous.”

“Perhaps I still do, but maybe I don’t know what Forbes magazine knows. Frankly, I'm surprised you'd want to be seen with the garden gnomes." 

"I deserved that," she answered, chastened. 

"If we are going to work together, perhaps you could try to leave your assumptions about us provincial types at the door."

"And perhaps you could put aside your disdain for my age demographic," she shot back. "It's not like you're in a different age group any way."

"And how could you know how old I am?"

"Because I Googled you, which any self-respecting professional would be sure to do about a client before any meeting."

"And I guess I deserved that," he looked down. "Though in my defense, I did discover a trove of Shaywood pictures in my own research."

Charlotte's face turned white.

"That was a long time ago," Charlotte said, her jaw tensing.

"You don't need to be embarrassed. You looked great. He looked, uh, not so good." He grinned. "Hey, we all have a past."

"Not everyone's past is easily accessible on the internet."

"Thank God."

"That makes me wonder what you're hiding." She raised an eyebrow. 

"Well, I'm not stalking swimmers."

"Honestly, I'm really sorry. I was not trying to Harvey Weinstein you. I had no idea that was a nude beach, so if you have concerns About me, now is the time to be upfront about it."

He laughed. "Ah, so I guess we are both in the wrong because it's not a nude beach. Swimming is technically prohibited after dark, and nude swimming is prohibited at all times." 

"In that case, may I suggest as one of the first changes the resort makes is to ensure the staff doesn't expose themselves to guests." She bit her lip to stop laughing. "Either that, or just make it the main attraction."

Sidney reddened and exhaled slightly. "I'm glad your enjoying this."

"So ladies, what are your plans for the afternoon?" Mary asked.

"I've booked myself for a deep tissue massage and an organic facial," Esther said excitedly. Sidney burst into a coughing fit.

"Detox wrap and a mani-pedi for me,” said Clara.

"And Charlotte, are you also going to the spa?" Mary inquired.

"Oh, no, I have trouble sitting still for that long. I will probably explore a bit on my own."

"I'm taking the children to the flower show. You're welcome to join us, if you like."

"Oh, perfect. I've never been to a flower show, I'm sure it will be an education."

Esther and Clara gave her a confused look, but said nothing. 

On the way out, Esther leaned in and said quietly. "Leave us your keys and text us if you need an extraction."

Charlotte laughed. "I am perfectly capable of surviving a flower show for an afternoon. Shall we still leave for London around 6?"

"How about a night swim? I'd like to catch more endowments of the sea," Clara answered.

Charlotte wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Sidney give a half-smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Babbers: _How was brunch?_

Sidney: _Fine_

Babbers: _And?_

Sidney: _And what?_

Babbers: _Did you win her over?_

Sidney: _She’s staying on the assignment, if that’s what you mean._

Babbers: _I think you know what I meant_

Sidney: _We are in a detente._

Babbers: _Wow, slow down, ladykiller. Seriously, you need to relax and enjoy the chase a bit_

Sidney: _Your own chase didn’t last very long_

Babbers: _Now how would you know how long I last? You weren’t there_

Sidney: _And glad of it._ _What happened with Crowe?_

Babbers: _He met his match._

Sidney: _FFS_

Babbers: _Yeah, turns out a meaningful connection can be achieved with more than just a lack of hostility. Give it a whirl sometime_

Sidney: _I whirl_

Babbers: _Do you? Prove me wrong then._

* * *

The flower show was about what Charlotte had expected - an over-the-top explosion of floral design pushed to the limits of good taste. After about twenty minutes, she had reached her floral quota for the year, and couldn't imagine what the appeal was for locals.

It was therefore entirely surprising to Charlotte when the children shouted “Uncle Sidney!”

On the scale of rash things one can do in a lifetime, going to a flower show probably scores in the negative. And yet Sidney felt by showing up, unplanned, to crash his family’s outing with Charlotte was a huge gamble. He never even felt compelled to spend time with anyone, let alone someone whose life was so… _visible_. Yet here he was, propelled by a desire to prove Babington wrong - or so he convinced himself.

“Sidney! I didn’t expect to see you,” Mary said with a huge smile.

“I wanted to spend time with my favorite Parkers,” he said, hoisting Henry in his arms.

“Uncle Sidney, can we go in the butterfly room?” Jenny pleaded.

“Girls, you’ve been through so many times already!” Mary sighed.

“Please? Pleasepleaseplease?” Alicia begged.

“If it's a kaleidoscope of butterflies you want to see, Uncle Sidney will take you to see all the butterflies." Hot guys being good with kids. Swoon.

Henry was suspicious of insects in general, and shrank back from the winged monsters. His panic was endearing, prompting Charlotte to take out her phone and start a video. A small butterfly landed on his lip, and Henry freaked out. He opened his mouth preparing for a massive screaming meltdown and inhaled the butterfly.

“Oh no!” Charlotte exclaimed, laughing. He coughed and the butterfly flew out unaffected. Henry, however, was probably scarred for life. He had a look of sheer terror, and was clearly ready to burst into tears. Charlotte stopped the video, as the loudest scream she'd ever heard erupted out of the boy. Mary embraced him and hid her laughs in his hair. Henry was now causing a major spectacle with his meltdown, so Mary whisked him outside. Charlotte’s eyes were watering from laughing so hard. The two girls ran off to chase butterflies, leaving Charlotte and Sidney with James.

"I think I lost my hearing." 

"He's definitely the loudest Parker," Sidney replied.

“How did you know the collective noun for butterflies?” Charlotte asked.

“I’m full of surprises.”

“I don’t think I can handle any more surprises from you. I mean, you kinda opened with your ace.”

“I don’t recall opening anything with my ace.”

Charlotte blushed, not realizing the phrasing of her words. “And I thought I could no longer be embarrassed.”

“Was that a challenge?”

“No, please, no!” she laughed.

“Ok,” he smiled. “Actually, my grandfather loved collective nouns. It was something he brought up all the time.”

“That’s funny, my father and I used to call them out whenever we would go on trips. His favorite was ‘a parliament of owls.’”

“My granddad’s was ‘a shiver of sharks.’”

“Ha! I heard that one a lot as well.”

The girls were now running, trying to catch a couple of the larger butterflies. Concerned they would crush the insects, Charlotte went after them, trying to prevent them from catching anything. After much laughing, the girls returned empty-handed.

“I think I just foiled a butterfly massacre,” she said proudly.

“That qualifies you for sainthood, I believe.” He smiled at her, and she looked at him and wondered if maybe she had redeemed herself in some way. Jenny and Alicia stared up at them and smiled at each other.

“Sidney!”

Startled, the group turned at the sudden shout behind them. Charlotte’s eyes widened to take in the spectacle that was running toward them - a heavily made-up woman, with blond extensions, a deep tan, and even a Monroe face piercing.

“Oh! Is ‘Love Island’ doing a promo here?” Charlotte asked excitedly.

Sidney grit his teeth, and hissed “Shh. Stop it.”

He then turned to the woman, and said “Eliza. What a surprise.”

“So lovely to see you here! And with all the little ones!” She went to embrace the girls, who stood stiff and recoiled from the woman’s long nails and oily bare arms. Miffed at the lack of reciprocation of her affection, she stood, looked over at Charlotte and ran her eyes up and down Charlotte’s attire.

“Charlotte, this is Eliza Campion. She runs one of the florists that we sometimes work with for events at the resort. Eliza, this is Charlotte Heywood. She is a hotel consultant out of London who will be working with us soon.” The women exchanged greetings and since it was clear this was a social call, Charlotte attended to baby James who was starting to fuss.

“I’ve hardly seen you since you got back from Cambodia.”

“Cameroon.”

“Of course, Cameroon, I’d love to hear about your adventures there sometime.”

“Well, they’re not exactly for the faint of heart.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re being modest. I love travel stories!”

“It wasn’t a holiday, I was working with Medecins Sans Frontiers.”

“Oh… is that like a French bank or something?” Oh dear.

“Not exactly. It’s also known as Doctors Without Borders.” He caught Charlotte smirking out of the corner of his eye. Eliza still had a blank look on her face.

“It’s a non-profit.”

“Oh, of course!” Eliza laughed loudly. A couple seconds of awkward silence followed.

“Well, say hello to Tom and Mary for me.” Eliza started off and her smile dropped as she turned to Charlotte. “Bye, children!”

There was a palpable relief as the girls pulled him away. Charlotte followed, pushing the pram.

She was about to say something, but he interrupted “Don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were going to.”

“How would you know?”

“I can tell you were going to say something snide.”

“Hey, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m actually a decent person. You hardly know me.”

“So what was that quip about Love Island?”

“You're not a fan? I confess to only having seen a couple episodes.”

“Let me guess, you watch it to laugh at them.”

“Don’t you?”

“I don’t watch reality tv.”

“Are you more of a David Attenborough fan?”

“What’s wrong with David Attenborough?”

“Absolutely nothing! I’ve seen every episode of every docuseries he’s ever done. I wanted to _be_ him.”

“That’s a bit hard to achieve with a fashion degree.”

Her smile disappeared. “Sometimes dreams don’t come true,” she said. Obviously she had not redeemed herself in his eyes.

She paused. “So you _are_ aware she’s very into you?”

“I thought I said not to say anything.”

“I wasn't being snide.”

“She’s perfectly fine… for someone,” he muttered. Probably for a lot of people, Charlotte thought, and she wondered if she hit a nerve.

* * *

Eliza: _Remember Charlotte Heywood?_

Zara: _Is that the one that married Evan Shay?_

Eliza: _Yes_

Zara: _What about her?_

Eliza: _Just saw her_

Zara: 😮 _Where?_

Eliza: _At the flower show. With Sidney._

Zara: _WTF. How’d she look?_

Eliza: _Posh. Didn’t realize she was so young tho_

Zara: _Why is Sidney with her?_

Eliza: _Something about her being a consultant_

Zara: _What does that even mean?_

Eliza: _Nobody knows_

Zara: _Do you think they’re together?_

Eliza: _Not if I can help it_

Zara: _You really want to do that again?_

Eliza: _It’s complicated_

Zara: _I thought you dumped him when you met Max_

Eliza: _Yes, but there’s unfinished business_

Zara: 👉👌?

Eliza: 😇

Zara: 🤣 sure

* * *

Esther and Clara were essentially lifeless after their spa treatments. They both instantly fell asleep on the way back to London, and Charlotte was left to drive back in silence. 

She tried to focus on her proposal, thinking through all the work that needed to be detailed for the resort, and who she should bring in for additional expertise. Her mind kept wandering though, mostly to dark piercing eyes and a devastating smile. And abs. In the moonlight. Sigh. Lusting after a client was going to make this assignment excruciating. Plus, there was something between him and Eliza, whether he was admitting it or not. And she had no patience or even desire to get in the middle of that. No guy was worth that, she’d learned.

She felt the buzz of her phone indicating she got a text message. She ignored it, not willing to risk having Siri convert any embarrassing texts to speech in the car with the others around. Her phone buzzed again. And again. And again until she finally turned it off before she’d be tempted to throw it out the window. 

She heard the buzz again, but didn’t feel anything, and then realized it wasn’t her phone but Clara’s or Esther’s, and it was incessant. 

Finally pulling up to a stop light, she woke the other two up.

“Hey, can you guys deal with whatever the emergency is? Someone’s blowing up one of your phones, and it’s driving me batty.”

There was grumbling and loud yawns as the two roused themselves from sleep. Each instinctively grabbed their phone to catch up on whatever they had missed.

“Oh, shit,” Clara breathed.

“Charlotte?” Esther looked up, concerned.

“What?”

“Have you checked your phone since we left?”

“No, I’m trying to be responsible and keep us alive. Something wrong?” She could see Clara and Esther glance at each other. 

Esther finally spoke. “There might be a paparazzi photo of you floating around.”

“There are loads. I can’t get them taken down, the agencies own the rights and there isn’t anything I can do about it, if I was in a public place with Evan at the time.”

“No, not from when you were with Evan. They're from this weekend.”


	6. Chapter 6

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Charlotte pulled the car over, and immediately pulled out her phone. She had over 20 messages since she turned it off, and when she opened one of the attached links, there she was - just hours ago - pushing a pram, smiling and looking adoringly at a man (seen only from behind), and the title read “Evan’s secret love child?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

She had been out of the spotlight for at least four years, and not one gossip blog had anything on her since she left for the US, and yet for some reason, there was renewed interest in her activity. No one gave a shit about the Heywood part of “Shaywood.” Evan was the one people cared about, and she hadn’t even talked to him in at least two years. Why the sudden interest now?

And on top of it all, she looked doe-eyed and flirty, wholly enthralled with her companion, and that was not going to look good to her client.

“You know it’s not that bad,” Esther tried to spin it in a positive light. “You look really good, you’re not doing anything embarrassing, and it’s easily proven false.”

“Plus look at his bum,” Clara added.

“Focus, Clara,” Charlotte sighed.

“Oh, I am.”

“If I didn’t know better, I would say you look really happy here, Charlotte,” Esther added. “Complete domestic bliss.”

Charlotte frowned. She didn’t think she was capable of domestic bliss. Marriage did not suit her one bit, and neither did relationships apparently. But she couldn't deny in that moment caught in the picture, she looked happy.

“I guess it’s a good thing there were no photographers around when I went for a walk on the beach that night. If that was the case, I might as well pack my bags and move to another country.”

“Why would _you_ have to move? He was the one flashing you,” Clara responded.

“True.” She wondered if it had been anyone else, would she be so forgiving? She felt conflicted about hot criminals.

“Not that this helps much, but no one really believes those headlines,” Esther consoled.

“I’m more concerned that this is a distraction from my work and credibility. Honestly, who gives a crap about Evan these days, unless it has to do with his rehab?”

“I think you’d be surprised at how many girls with crushes on Evan are now women with crushes on Evan,” Clara replied.

“Well, I can’t point fingers. I married the fool.”

They arrived at Charlotte’s, and despite Esther and Clara’s willingness to stay and keep her company, she sent them away, saying she was fine and it was no worse than anything she experienced with Evan.

In truth, she felt like a complete idiot. She wondered who the source was. Could it have been Sidney? He did show up unexpectedly all of a sudden. She thought things were getting better with him, and that maybe he was less dismissive of her, but maybe he was trying to prove a point. It seemed like a stretch, since he could just fire her if he had any reservations.

Was it that woman Eliza? She seemed like someone who couldn’t even remember who was prime minister, let alone someone from the gossip pages years ago. Yet there was something between them, and she sensed unwarranted jealousy.

She Googled Eliza Campion, and found a trove of eye-popping Instagram posts and YouTube videos. Most were the typical copycat social posts of celebrities.

Charlotte: _Hey_

Esther: _Hey, u ok?_

Clara: _Need us to come back?_

Charlotte: _No, I’m fine, just irritated. I think the person who sent that pic in was someone who was at the flower show. Eliza Campion._

Clara: _On it_

Charlotte: _She was definitely hitting on Sidney, which I don’t give a shit about because he's my fucking client, but she seemed to take exception to me_

Esther: _Amateur. If she was the one who called it in, she has no idea who she’s playing with_

Fifteen minutes later, Clara and Esther found even more old Eliza pictures, including one of her and Sidney at a party. She had her tongue out, with her fingers throwing a peace sign. Standing stiffly beside her, Sidney was definitely not enjoying himself.

Additionally, Esther unearthed a defunct Only Fans account named BettyFunSunBuns, with a scantily clad blond woman with a face piercing in a suggestive pose. There were also stills of her nude, seated spreadeagle with a well-placed teddy bear. Cam girl. Yahtzee.

Clara: _Does anyone want to trade eyes with me?_

Esther: 😱 _too busy trying to purge my browser history. I can’t die before this is cleared_

Charlotte: _She wasn’t this scary in person. I can’t be certain it’s her - there’s so much makeup - but it looks a LOT like her_

Clara: _And feast your eyes on this gem_

Esther: _No more gems! Please!_

Clara sent a link to a fifteen year old news story about Evan Shay’s crazed teenage fans, and included a photo of three girls, holding a sign that read “EVAN, PRAYING ISN’T THE ONLY THING I DO ON MY KNEES.” The caption below read “Kayleigh Peele, Zara Michaels, and Lizzie Campion of Sanditon have been camped outside of the O2 Arena since yesterday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shay arriving for rehearsals.”

Charlotte: _Wow, even I find that mortifying_

Clara: _Our work here is done_

Esther: _I think you know who took the pic. You’re set_

Time to initiate counter measures. 

_Hi Tom, Mary, Sidney, I want to make you aware of a situation that arose in the last couple of hours. Evidently I was photographed at the flower show with Sidney and James, and there seems to be some misinformation being spread with the photo. My lawyer has already been in touch and there will be a correction posted._

_I am terribly sorry this has happened. I will take additional precautions to avoid public scrutiny while on site._

_Thank you for your understanding. Also thank you for your hospitality this weekend. Esther, Clara and I were impressed with everything Arthur created for dinner and brunch (I’m assuming you saw the incredible engagement response from Clara’s followers), and judging from the fact that Esther and Clara were relaxed to the point of unconsciousness in the car ride home, I think your spa staff is excellent._

_Again, my apologies for the nonsense surrounding my presence at the flower show. If you have any concerns, I’m happy to address them to ensure you are comfortable in this relationship going forward._

_Charlotte_

Within 15 minutes, she had three responses. 

Number 1:

_Hi Charlotte, There’s no need to apologize. We feel bad that you got caught up in someone’s lie. That seems so unfair. No harm done on our side, I assure you. By the way, can you send me the video of James and the butterfly? I can’t wait to show Tom._

_Cheers, Mary_

Number 2:

 _Charlotte,_ _No such thing as bad publicity, right? We’re sorry this happened, but we know James’ true parentage, so no worries there. Please let us know what our next steps are to proceed._

_Thanks, Tom_

Number 3:

 _C,_ _They didn’t even get my good side._

_-S_

Well, at least they all had a sense of humor. She was fully expecting Sidney to call her out for her frivolous life, but there was nothing else from him. Perhaps this would blow over, and she could get back to the real work that needed to be done.

* * *

Babbers: _You made the gossip rags, Parker!_

Sidney: _You mean that picture of Charlotte at the flower show? You can't tell that was me. That could have been anyone_

Babbers: _You think we can’t recognize you?_

Frank: _Nice ass, Parker_

Babbers: 🤣

Sidney: _Thanks. Now piss off_

Frank: _If I didn’t know you, I’d get the impression from her expression that you’re a funny guy_

Sidney: _I’m hilarious, what are you talking about?_

Babbers: _So I stand corrected. You DO whirl_

Sidney: _With disastrous results, apparently. Most people don’t wind up in a gossip column when they go to a flower show_

Frank: _That was brave of you. Seriously, I wouldn’t be caught dead at such a thing, and now there is public proof you were there._

Babbers: _All in the name of love_

Sidney: _If you two are going to keep taking the piss, I assume you can back up those words at class today?_

Frank: _Depends. How did you leave things with Charlotte?_

Sidney: _What’s that got to do with anything?_

Frank: _If you feel good about it, then I’ll go. But if you don’t, no thanks. I like my arms where they are_

Babbers: _Same. So how did you leave it?_

Sidney: _We were having a nice chat, but then Eliza showed up_

Frank: _Good lord_

Babbers: _Why is she still sniffing around? I thought she moved on_

Sidney: _She occasionally has jobs at the resort for weddings and whatnot_

Babbers: _I meant why is she sniffing around you? Apart from your nice_ 🍑

Sidney: _Don’t know and don’t care. She’s a walking disaster_

Frank: _So I take it she didn’t meet Charlotte?_

Sidney: _They met. But guys,_ _I wasn’t on a date._ _Charlotte is, at best, a colleague._

Babbers: _Maybe you don’t think so, but look at her face in that photo. No colleague of mine has ever looked at me so adoringly_

Frank: _If that's how she looked when a photographer took her photo, that's probably how Eliza saw her when you guys were together_

Sidney: _Great, all the bullshit of dating but none of the benefits. So glad I didn't stay home today._

Babbers: _She'll be back_

Sidney: _Hey, I appreciate you guys looking out for my love life, but I don't need that right now. Plus this is a working relationship. I can't._

Frank:


	7. Chapter 7

The following day, Charlotte spent hours on damage control - speaking multiple times with her lawyers and trying to fully erase any notion that she was still somehow connected to Evan Shay. She tried to stay off Twitter, fully knowing the 'Evangelists' - as his fandom called themselves - would come after her, but she couldn't help it.

_"SHIT-girl Charlotte! Why can't she just die?"_

_"Stay away from Evan, whore! You ruined him!"_

_"She looks like a crap wife and crap mom. I feel sorry for that poor sod she's with."_

Twitter trolls were the worst, and she used to feel like her world was ending with all the venom being spewed at her. It was one of the contributing factors to their breakup, and it lasted for years after she left him. 

As she was instructed to do with each tabloid mention of her, she alerted the security team at her building and gym to be on the lookout for suspicious packages, letters or people, and she made sure to contact the detectives who handled her stalker case during her marriage.

She even answered a few inquiries from reporters if she did, in fact, have a love child with Evan. They were easily convinced she did not, and the story seemed to die overnight. No one seemed interested in the real reason she was in Sanditon. Except James, apparently.

James: _Well that was a lovely familial photo of you_

Charlotte: _Thanks, weird to learn about my love child from the press_

James: _Who’s the fella in the pic?_

'What the fuck, James,' Charlotte thought, 'You are not entitled to jealousy.'

Charlotte: _Client_

James: 🙄 _Really?_

Charlotte: _None of your business, but yes, it was. I was on site at a client’s_

James: _Meet me for a drink?_ 🥂

Charlotte: _Can’t, working_

James: _With your client?_

Charlotte: _All my work is for clients_

There wasn’t time or energy for this. Furthermore, there definitely was no desire to see James any more.

The rest of the day was spent finalizing her proposal, and by the time it was complete, it was close to midnight.

_Hi Tom, Mary, Sidney, Arthur,_

_Attached is the proposal for the statement of work in this engagement. I’ve included a couple of additional options that I think would really make a difference. Please review and if you have questions, I’m happy to discuss on a call if you wish._

_Thanks, Charlotte_

Sent. She was exhausted, yet also bitter none of her day was allocated for her own enjoyment. In moments like this, she often forced herself to stay up later, just to feel like part of her day was at least dedicated to herself. Pouring a glass of wine, she sat down to make some quick edits to the video of Henry and the butterfly before sending it off to Mary. An email alert sounded.

> _C,_
> 
> _Where’s the clause for additional paparazzi protection?_
> 
> _-S_

**Grown Woman Gets Excited to See Email From Guy**

LONDON, ENGLAND - In a sad reflection of her failed emotional state, London woman Charlotte Heywood found herself grinning like a goddamned idiot upon receiving a seven word email from an attractive male colleague…

_What are you doing answering work emails at this hour? -C_

> _I could ask you the same. But you didn’t answer my question about the protection from photographers. -S_

_I have spoken to my lawyer and the detectives, and since this is the first tabloid photo of me in several years, it does not seem to be a concern for them. However, if you are worried, we can conduct all meetings on site, and not in public.-C_

> _I was just kidding, but now I'm curious. Detectives? -S_

_Yes, the case is several years old now, but when I was married, there was an individual who was legit stalking me.-C_

> _I'm sorry, I had no idea. Now my joke about you stalking me seems in poor taste.-S_

_In contrast to the things I went through, your comments were nothing at all, but thanks nonetheless. Regardless,_ _I am sorry about that picture, but I seriously doubt there will be any more trouble since there is no interest in me now that Shaywood isn't a thing anymore.-C_

She waited a few minutes, but no other emails came through, so she shut everything down, gave up on the book she was trying to read, and crawled into her bed, when surprisingly she heard the ding of a text message. Probably a little too eagerly, she picked up her phone, only to be disappointed.

James: _Hey, where are you?_

Charlotte: _Home_

James: _I’m close by, can I come say hi?_

Charlotte: _About to fall asleep_

James: _That can change_ 🍌

Charlotte: 👎

James: _Harsh. Come on, Char, I miss you_

Charlotte: _That’s sweet. Good night_

James: _You don’t miss me?_

Charlotte: _You know we don’t miss each other_

James: _Oh, I think you do_ 👅👅

What seemed playful and flirty before now just felt lecherous and unwanted. It was time to cut James loose. 

Charlotte: _Hey James, I don't think this makes sense any more. It was nice to spend time with you, but I think we both know this isn't right. Sorry_

James: _What do you mean? Is there someone else?_

Charlotte: _No, but that's irrelevant_

James: _Hey I want to be with you. We have fun together. If there isn't someone else, then why?_

Charlotte: _Yes it was fun. But I'm sorry, I don't think this is what I want_

James: _Are you alone? Can't I see you once more?_

Charlotte: _No, don't think that's a good idea. Good night, James_

James: 😘

That exchange was the cherry on top of her shit day. There was a time when Charlotte wouldn't dream of breaking up with someone over text, but was this really breaking up? They were never a couple, and she was certain the only reason he was contacting her at all was because he saw the picture of her with someone else. Ten minutes earlier, and she might have gone to sleep looking forward to an email. Now, she just felt like asshole.

She sighed and looked back at her phone. She couldn't stop herself, and checked her email once more. No new emails in her inbox.

In the next couple of days, she buried herself into work. Her rescheduled meeting with Flakey Bar Owner turned out to be fairly productive, yielding a proposal accepted that day. She also had a final walkthrough of a renovated lobby at a project she wrapped a few weeks prior. And finally, there were several meetings with vendors for the launch party of a rooftop bar. 

Finally, she received the approval from the Parkers on the proposal.

> _Charlotte, we are incredibly excited about working with you and look forward to your next visit! By the way, the video of Henry is hilarious. Mary posted it to YouTube today!_
> 
> _Cheers, Tom_

_Tom, I am very looking forward to working with you all as well. I'll sort out my schedule for the next few weeks. If anyone has questions, please feel free to call or text. I always have my phone._

_Thanks, Charlotte_

> _C, looks like you were wrong about there being no interest in you now that Shaywood isn't a thing.-S_


	8. Chapter 8

In the days following Charlotte’s visit to Sanditon, the resort management started making changes of their own. Arthur updated the restaurant menu to include the dishes he tried at dinner and brunch with the women. Already, the new entrées were in high demand, and there were more days when the dining room was nearly fully booked.

There were also impacts from the photo of Charlotte. For one, the staff teased Sidney mercilessly over the appearance of his backside in the photo. And second, the normally sleepy Facebook page for the resort suddenly had more followers. The third, and most unfortunate, impact was that a few comments and direct messages from hardcore Evan fans were being posted on the resort page.

There had been no announcement about Charlotte’s work for the resort but someone must have gotten wind, and suddenly their site was being pinged daily with vitriol, to the point where Mary had to shut off comments and alert the security team.

Initially, Tom had been against disabling the comments, saying controversy could only help publicity. But Mary and Sidney overrode his decision, as it felt ominous and possibly threatening to their guests. Ultimately, what finally convinced Tom to put a stop to the messages was the notion that a guest could file a law suit against the resort for failing to protect against a known threat.

But then, there was a different message that came through, on Sidney’s direct email.

_“Whorewood is a worthless, toxic bitch. She ruined Evan and she’ll ruin you. I know it.”_

Sidney now had a better understanding of what must have happened for Charlotte to file a case with detectives. This was only one email and it was creepy, especially since it went directly to someone specific in the organization, and not just a general inbox. The engagement contract had been signed, and Charlotte was making plans to be back on site the following week. He had to let her know that this was going on, otherwise that law suit against the resort could come from Charlotte herself.

_C, looks like you were wrong about there being no interest in you now that Shaywood isn’t a thing.-S_

Charlotte blinked several times and stared at the email from Sidney. Was that flirting? Was he just bad at flirting, or bad at writing? Or was she just misreading the message because she had been feeling lonely? She started drafting a response, and struggled to be professional.

> _What exactly are you referring to?-C_

_Please call on my cell. -S_

That tone did not sound flirty or promising. She called immediately.

“Hi Charlotte.”

“Hey, your email sounded concerning.”

“I thought it would be better to discuss this over the phone. We’ve received an email - actually I received the email directly - and I wanted to make sure you were aware. Seems like someone knows about your upcoming work here.”

“What kind of email?” There was a pause, and Charlotte felt tightness in her chest.

“It must be one of Evan Shay’s crazed fans.”

She exhaled for three counts.

“You haven’t made any announcement, have you, Charlotte? I assumed there wouldn’t be anything public since there was such a thorough non-disclosure agreement.”

“No, I haven’t said anything to anyone. What does the email say?”

“I don't feel like I should…”

“If they are threatening, I need to know.”

Sidney felt like he was torturing someone already horribly injured. “I… I’ll just forward it to you.”

In an instant, she saw the words that were so familiar to her - nothing she hadn’t heard before, but this felt too close.

“You know, I’ve got pretty thick skin. This isn’t half as horrible as the stuff they say on Twitter. But this is the first time anyone has interfered with my work, and that pisses me off.”

“If it makes you feel better, it’s my first time too," he paused. "That probably sounded bad.”

She laughed. “Ok, thank you for taking the tension out of this discussion. It’s not awkward at all now!”

“I seem to excel at making things awkward.”

“Yes, keep up the good work,” Charlotte smirked to herself. “Hey, can I ask you something? About your friend Eliza?”

“I wouldn’t call her my friend.” Yaaas!

“Right, ok, is it possible Eliza has an issue with me? I’m not trying to imply anything, but I just ask because I got a weird vibe, and I really don’t think I encountered anyone else that day.”

He interrupted. “It’s possible. She’s batshit insane.” 

“For the record, I don’t have a response to that.”

“You don’t need to, I think it’s been verified by scientists.”

“Is there any chance that email might be related to her?”

“I can’t rule that out. That would totally fit in her profile." Histrionic narcissist, was it?

“Then would you have any objection if I refer this to the detectives?”

“I was hoping you would. I’d like for you to feel safe being here.”

“Apart from the flashers, I feel perfectly safe,” she teased.

"I see I’m not to live that down.”

“You want to? I thought you would see this as a bit of an achievement.”

“So many assumptions.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Given that it’s a mutually compromising situation, can we just pretend that didn’t happen?”

“I’m sure at some point we will.”

“Ok, moving on, have you fixed your schedule? Arthur wants to try another entrée on you at dinner.”

“As excited as I am to hear that, I’m still full from the last time. That entire menu was outrageous - delicious but probably taxing on my liver.”

“Don't tell him that! He takes this very seriously.”

“As he should. It’s his craft and creation, I understand. It’s building an experience from an idea. I feel like I do the same thing.”

Sidney felt a little bad about ridiculing her before. “I guess I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I can see that now.”

"Yes, my job involves imagination and creativity, not just schmoozing with club kids."

"Forgive me, I hadn't given you much of a chance before I made some snap judgements."

She was taken aback at the humility. "Well, I must apologize as well."

"For what?"

"I underestimated how open you would be to new ideas."

He smiled to himself. "Truce?"

"Aww, I thought we were at least allies already."

"Ok, then. Allies. Can I be Churchill?"

"Well I don't want to be Stalin!"

"Then be Roosevelt. What's wrong with him?"

"Fine."

"So when are you arriving, Madam President?"

“I thought I could be on site starting on Tuesday. Will that work, Prime Minister?”

“I’ll let them all know.”

She paused. “Sidney, there is a favor I’d like to ask. Can you let me know if you get any other similar emails? Or even social media posts?”

“You sure you want a Luddite like me on that activity?”

“Actually that might make you more objective.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best. Tuesday, then.”

“Thanks.”

Charlotte forwarded the email to her lawyer and the detective. While neither felt the email posed any real threat, they both recommended she cut back the amount of time spent onsite. 

Oh, hell no. That was the only thing she was looking forward to.

* * *

Unknown: _hey babes_

Sidney: _Wrong number_

Unknown: _u didnt keep my number? im so hurt_

Sidney: _Who is this?_

Unknown: _eliza_

For the love of God. Charlotte was likely right about Eliza being behind the email. The timing was too coincidental.

Sidney: _Sorry wrong number_

Unknown: _I know its u sid quit playing its eliza campion_

Sidney: _Oh ok_

Unknown: _so good to see u the other day_ 😜

If you can’t text anything nice…

Unknown: _I’m going to be at the resort tomorrow im doing a wedding there this weekend_

There was no way Sidney was going to get sucked into Eliza’s presence so close to a fucking wedding.

Unknown: _u want to meet up for dinner afterwards?_

Sidney: _Can’t, sorry_

Unknown: _how about sat after i set up for the wedding?_

Sidney: _I have plans, sorry_

Unknown: 😞 _r u avoiding me?_

Sidney: _No_

Unknown: _dont be such a bore_ 😴 _u n me could just have fun u know_ 😉

Sidney: _Eliza, I’m not interested in starting anything again with you_

Unknown: _not trying to start anything babes just thought we should do a proper catch up_

Sidney: _You’re all caught up. Cheers_

He wasn't the bore, she was the bore; this town was the bore. 

“Arthur, Charlotte will be back on Tuesday. What are the dishes you’re experimenting with?”

“Oh!” Arthur lit up. His enthusiasm was so contagious that Sidney instantly felt the discomfort of interacting with Eliza slough off.

“I have three I’m playing around with. The first is a Cornish monkfish and mussel bourride, the second a whole roasted turbot with brown shrimps and cucumber, and the pastry chef is creating a brown butter and honey tart with roasted peaches and chamomile ice cream.”

Sidney had a stunned look on his face.

“Oh no…” Arthur sounded panicky. “It sounds awful! Oh, I should have gone with the grilled yuzu sole and the deviled capers! I can do that…”

“No! No, Arthur, it all sounds amazing. It just sounds like a _lot_ since it’s only going to be her this time. The others aren’t coming.”

“Oh, well, what about Tom and Mary? And you? Won’t the three of you be there?”

“I usually have jiu-jitsu, and Tom and Mary have to pick up the girls from dance and music classes.”

“Oh, come on, Sidney! You can’t leave her by herself.”

“Why don’t you spread the dishes out over a couple of days?”

Arthur looked aghast. “I want to create a _journey_ , Sidney,” Arthur dramatically waved his arms from left to right, eyes pleading. “It’s not just _food_. It’s sensory world-building!” That's a bit of a reach, but Sidney thought of Charlotte's comments about creative expression and tried to keep an open mind.

“Then why don’t you just dine with her, and you can brainstorm together?”

He looked at Sidney like he had three heads.

“Would you ask an opera singer to leave the stage and sit in the audience to watch the performance? Or a principal ballerina to hang out in the lobby when she’s not dancing? Of course not! A performing artist must be in full control of his art!”

Sidney realized too late he had walked into a mess of his own making, and knew he was going to have take all the shots if he wanted to make it home tonight. A few dramatic metaphors later, Arthur finally took a breather from being offended, and Sidney took his chance to surrender.

“Arthur, I am so sorry, of course you must focus on your performance. I will get out of my class, and I will convince Tom and Mary to get a sitter to pick up the children. You will have full command of all of our senses.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and swept away out of the room. “Is that too much to ask? Honestly!”

Sidney smiled. “Brother, nothing is too much for you.”


	9. Chapter 9

Charlotte, Clara and Esther met at their favorite bar, a spot in the basement of one of the hotels Charlotte considered a client, where the decor felt like a glitzy high-end nightclub without all the club people. 

“If one more banker wanker tries to chat about something inane, I will cut a bitch, right?” Clara was agitated from her long wait at the bar.

“Sounds like you need another spa day,” Esther said sipping her chai martini. “Charlotte, when are you going back to Sanditon, and can we come?”

“Tuesday, and no, I can’t afford your bar tab and spa services.”

Esther pouted. “Aww, I was hoping to see Will again.”

“Have you talked to him since?” Charlotte asked.

“Oh we’ve texted,” Esther winked.

“You mean sexted?” Charlotte winked back.

Esther said nothing, but she didn't have to. The three toasted.

“And what happened with Frank?” Charlotte asked Clara.

Clara shrugged. “Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with him, apart from the fact that he doesn’t live here.”

“Sounds like the non-resident status doesn’t seem to bother Esther,” Charlotte prodded. “Perhaps you should have a more open mind, Clara.”

Esther smiled slyly. “I kind of like the fact that Will isn’t part of this scene, that’s he’s not one of the forgettable extras in the background in our show.”

“So you fancy him, do you?” Charlotte teased. “Let us live vicariously through you, then!”

Esther finding a man worthy of interest was certainly a milestone. A hopeless romantic, she often found herself chasing after those interchangeable London lads, and none of them seemed to have the attention span to enjoy the chase. Insofar as having the endurance to stay in the race, Will Babington was noteworthy.

“So what happened to James?” Esther asked.

“Oh,” Charlotte sighed. “That item passed its expiration date.”

“Which one was he?” Clara asked, knitting her brow trying to recollect the face that went with the name.

“Exactly.” Charlotte couldn’t even be bothered with post-breakup analysis - such was the benefit of being emotionally distant from the men she dated. “You know, the male one, two arms, two legs.”

“Oh him, right,” Clara laughed.

“He was the tall one, blondish hair, cute?” Esther prompted.

“Something like that. It just wasn’t what I wanted.”

“But what do you want, Charlotte? Are you finally thinking about relationships after seeing that photo of future Charlotte on the gossip sites?” Esther asked.

Charlotte laughed. “I don't know about _that_ , but I do miss that sensation of excitement and thrill when you realize there might be some kind of mutual love and affection. Is that still a thing? Or is that just a myth?” She shrugged.

“Sometimes you need to believe in myths,” Esther replied.

“And Charlotte, you haven’t even been on a real date in years,” Clara looked at her skeptically. “Maybe you’re too cynical.”

“I have so!”

“Dates and booty calls are not the same,” Clara sighed.

“Hey! I don’t do booty calls!”

“Sorry, ‘maintenance visits.’”

“I don’t do those either!” Mostly.

“When was the last time you went on a proper date? Like a dinner with great conversation to get to know someone, maybe a bit of flirting, without rushing through to get to the shagging? Or rushing through because you wanted to get home?” Esther asked.

Charlotte sipped on her cocktail, frowned and looked thoughtful for a moment. “People do that?”

Clara and Esther both knew if she had, they would have already heard about it.

“Well, it’s been a minute for me, but yeah, that’s always the aspirational goal,” Esther answered. 

“Is that realistic though? It seems a bit old-fashioned,” Charlotte wasn’t sure she had the patience for that.

“Sometimes old-fashioned is preferable. You can’t just autofill all the fields in your life.”

“Am I really that predictable?”

Clara reached out and held her hand. “No, dear. It’s not that you’re predictable. That’s just what we’ve come to know from you.”

“Clara, that is the same as predictable!”

“Alright, well I liked my version better.”

“What about Sidney? You fancy him, don’t you?” Clara asked.

“Oh, that’s not exactly actionable, so it doesn’t really matter if I do or I don’t.”

Clara and Esther looked at each other. “She does.”

“You might be surprised. Things can pop up in unusual places,” Esther said, shrugging.

Charlotte wanted to be surprised, but things over the past few years told her surprises tended to be bad. 

* * *

“Surprise!”

Red alert!

“I thought since you were busy I would just stop in for a quick chat,” Eliza leaned against the door to Sidney’s office.

“Now’s really not a good time, Eliza. We are swamped prepping for the weekend, and I’m trying desperately to leave on time,” Sidney replied brusquely.

“That’s ok, I’ll just wait for you and we can walk out together.” Evasive maneuvers!

“I have a few things I’d like to take care on my own, if you don’t mind.” 

“Oh, do you have a date?”

“Not relevant.”

“Oh so you do have a date.” Raise shields!

“I didn’t say one way or another, and I’m not going to because you don’t need to know.”

“Is it with that girl I saw you with?”

“Again, Eliza, I’m not interested in chatting or walking or whatever, so please, have a good night.”

“Careful of those London girls, Sid, they’ll chew you up,” Eliza cooed. “Text me sometime.”

Nope, sure won’t.

Sadly, Sidney’s class at the academy was cancelled, due to lack of attendance. He sighed in frustration, as he was looking forward to the exercise and rolling with someone willing to be choked. He considered a swim, but in light of the last experience he had, he didn’t want to risk any further literal and figurative exposure. So he decided to join those delinquents who skipped class. He did not need to guess which pub.

“This is a surprise, Parker! Don’t normally see you here on a Friday night,” Crowe said. He and Babington turned and welcomed their friend to join them at their place at the bar. 

“I went to class, but none of you cowards showed up.”

“Sounds like the rest of the students figured it out too,” Frank said smiling. “Fridays are when you’re all wound up from the work week, and no one wants to be there for that.”

“So when are our lovely London ladies coming back?” Will asked.

“Oh, do I detect a little anticipation there, Babbers?” Sidney raised an eyebrow.

“Possibly a lot of anticipation,” he grinned. “Right, Crowe?”

“Mmm? I’m definitely taking more of a shine on Londoners lately.”

“Well, I’m afraid I don’t know when Esther and Clara are back.”

“But you do know when Charlotte is coming back,” Frank nudged, and Will joined in the ribbing.

Sidney shook his head and chuckled, “Lads, take it easy.”

"Parker, you have the shot. Take the shot!" Crowe said, raising his glass, laughing.

“Alright, well, don’t waste your opportunities, Sidney. You don’t want to be left with Eliza.”

“Funny,” Sidney eyed the two men. “You two don’t appear to be out of my range, but you sure talk like you are.”

The company and the alcohol distracted him enough to get through his evening, at least until he got home and started his dinner.

The dramatic orchestral soundtrack of an episode of Planet Earth played on in the background as Sidney prepared his food, the voice of David Attenborough narrating the scene on-screen.

_“This pygmy three-toed sloth is swimming to find a mate. He’s heard a female calling from across the water. With only a few hundred of these sloths in existence, he must go for every chance he gets. Could this be her?”_

Dramatic pause in the music, as Sidney sits down with food.

_“He does his best to put on a turn of speed.”_ So slow, so evolutionarily unlucky - sad, lovelorn sloth.

_“But she’s not the one.”_ Been there, buddy. _“She already has a baby. And won’t mate again for another six months.”_ Questionable life choices, but no slut shaming here.

_“Not the result he swam all that way for…”_

Sidney toasted the poor sloth. Hopefully he doesn’t find himself settling for just any female in the jungle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the link to the Planet Earth clip about the pygmy sloth swimming to find his mate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7HGSvczDA4  
> 🦥


	10. Chapter 10

In a burst of productivity, Charlotte squeezed an entire week of meetings into a day and a half, and was on the road for Sanditon by noon on Tuesday. She felt a little nervous, and had packed about 3 weeks worth of outfits for 4 days, plus every possible toiletry she might need, as if she were time-traveling to an era before drug stores. Overpacking was a novice move, but if she got caught in a paparazzi picture again, she wanted to _slay_. 

Upon arrival, she checked in, got to her room, and was surprised to find a bouquet of white roses. Charlotte thought white flowers seemed overly precious, even a bit bridal, but she certainly wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Welcome, Charlotte Heywood!” the card read. She smiled and thought to herself this was the first time a client had ever sent her flowers. She usually was the one to send thank-you gifts.

Her phone dinged.

James: _Miss me yet?_

Charlotte: _James, I thought we weren’t going to do this?_

James: _I can’t text to say hi?_

Charlotte: _Is there something you need?_

James: 😈😈😈😈

Charlotte: 🙅♀️

James: _Come on, babe_

'Babe?' Gross. James never called her ‘babe’ even when they were sort of dating. It was something Evan had called her, and what he called all his girlfriends so he wouldn't say the wrong name. She set her phone to block James, and then made sure to sever all social media ties to him. To purge the remaining icky feelings, Charlotte changed, put in her ear buds and headed out for a run. 

* * *

“Tom, when is the sitter going to pick up Alicia? I just got a call from the dance studio that she’s still there.” Mary stood at the door of Tom’s office, looking perplexed.

Tom looked up, furrowed his brow. “The sitter? I thought that was tomorrow.”

“No, my dear, today is Tuesday. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Er, no… I did not forget. I just remembered it incorrectly.”

“Oh Tom! So Jenny is still at her piano lesson?! What a mess! Ok, fine, I’ll get Jenny. You get Alicia. And you’ll have to be the one to tell Arthur.”

Tom got a panicked look on his face. “Oh, Mary, don’t make me do that alone! I won’t make it without losing a limb.”

“So help me Tom, call that brother of yours!” Mary shot him a warning look.

“Sidney!” Tom called out.

“The other one, Tom!”

“Yes, I will call Arthur straight away,” he said to Mary as she grabbed her bag and jacket. He then shouted out again, “Sidney, I need you!”

“I don’t want anything to do with it, Tom,” Sidney called from his office.

“And you better tell Charlotte, too,” Mary called over her shoulder as she ran out the door. Sidney realized this meant he was to represent the Parkers at dinner, and was momentarily agitated at the change in plans.

“Can’t we just postpone this?” Sidney asked.

“Do you want to tell Arthur that? He’s been prepping for two days, but I’m perfectly fine postponing,” Tom replied, getting his things together.

Sidney dialed Arthur’s line in the kitchen. Arthur answered mid-outburst, his tantrum audible to Tom, Sidney and anyone within 10 yards radius despite not being on speaker phone.

“Arthur… I wanted to ask… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to interrupt your artistic flow… Right… Ok.” Sidney hung up, and looked defeatedly at Tom. “Apparently the muse of culinary inspiration is still possessing him, so…” Sidney sighed. “I guess I will go to dinner.”

Tom, meanwhile, was distracted putting on his jacket, and peering at his screen. He received an email from an unknown address just as he was about to shut down.

_Even the white rose casts a black shadow._

“Ugh spam,” he muttered.

* * *

Charlotte arrived a few minutes early to the restaurant to say hello to the chef, and found Sidney waiting for her at a table, for two. Nice suit. She could eat that suit for dinner.

She was glad she scrubbed up thoroughly following her run. She erred on the side of caution in her dress, and opted for something on trend, but business appropriate. Sidney looked as if he'd just left the office, still somewhat formal, but clearly off the clock with his tie missing.

"Welcome back, Charlotte,” he stood to greet her. “I’m sorry, it’s just me tonight. Tom and Mary had a mixup with the sitter.” 

She gave a nervous smile. “I’m sorry, it’s just me, but I don’t really have an excuse. I’m just alone - which Oprah and rom com movies tell me I should not apologize for.”

“Well, Arthur is highly displeased with them, so you and I are his favourites right now.”

She gave a look of pride. “That may be the highest praise I've had all year.”

“Charlotte!” Arthur cried from across the room. Arthur had such an effusive presence of joy and warmth that it was impossible to feel like he wasn’t the star of the show. “I’m so so delighted that you and Sidney were gracious enough to come to dinner. I _knew_ you two weren’t uncouth ingrates, and had the good sense of planning ahead for this experience." He gave her a warm embrace.

"So to begin…” he gestured to a waiter to come forth. “… I consulted my mixologist friend who came up with this divine potion to launch our journey this evening.”

Sidney leaned over and said in a low voice, "Welcome to the Arthur show."

Suppressing a smile, Charlotte sipped the tiny grass-green drink. It was tart, herby and had an aroma of the beach.

“Essence of Irish sea moss, ceremonial grade matcha, gin, grapefruit, and a finish of pickle juice.”

Sidney and Charlotte smiled, not understanding how any of that made sense in a cocktail, apart from the gin.

“It’s very... stimulating, Arthur,” Charlotte said.

His eyes widened and he gushed, “Oh I'm so glad you picked up on that, Charlotte! It is intended to instill an anticipation for this culinary oceanic voyage. Now, our first course will be a bourride of Cornish monkfish and mussels.” Another waiter approached with the dishes, which Arthur himself placed on the table with panache.

"Bon appetit!" he said, as he retreated to the kitchen. She was expecting the bourride to be heavy, but instead it was complex, bright and aromatic. Arthur had done it again.

“So how did you manage to clear your schedule to spend four days here?” Sidney asked.

“It wasn’t easy. I’ve had back to back meetings since 8:00 am yesterday. Of course, I haven’t spoken to anyone that wasn’t work-related, but at least I was productive.”

“’Beware the barrenness of a busy life.’”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t expect you to be a student of philosophy.”

“You’ve heard that quote before?”

“It’s Socrates, isn’t it? I did a course in the Socratic method - not that we studied that quote in particular, but I seem to recall seeing it somewhere in the materials. Or maybe it was on a meme,” she said, laughing. “And how do you know it?”

“I studied philosophy,” he answered.

“How intellectual.”

“Not very practical though.”

“But it enables you to look down on the rest of us,” she teased. 

“’Education of the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.’” Please hold - mind and heart exploding at the moment.

“And is that also from an ancient philosopher?”

“Aristotle.”

“I didn't realize Aristotle was such a romantic.”

“Well no one really gives him credit, but I hear he was quite a stud.”

Charlotte laughed. “So is he right?”

“Hm?”

“About the mind and the heart?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t say I succeeded at either, really.” He looked at her with his dark eyes, and gave a crooked smile, and Charlotte wondered if anyone could hear her ovulate.

“No one has, I don’t think.”

“You’re rather cynical. Is that from living in London and being around heartless automatons?”

“Hm. I can’t blame the entire city, but a lot of shitty things happened there."

“Then why are you still there?”

She shrugged. “That’s where the money is, I guess.”

Arthur came out again, followed by a waiter bearing the main course. Bowing, Arthur lay the dishes before them, like an offering. “First, I urge you both to meditate on the energy here within this piece, and consider the essence of its life and environment. It is here to nourish your soul,” he closed his eyes, and inhaled and exhaled deeply. “This is a roasted turbot, seasoned with preserved Meyer lemon and Kaffir lime leaves. It was caught just this morning from one of the fishing boats we buy from here in Sanditon.”

Charlotte took a bite and exhaled, “Oh Arthur, it is sublime.” Indeed, the roasted fish was delicate and flavorful, and Charlotte knew Arthur must have experimented repeatedly with the flavors. 

He beamed, and looked with anticipation at Sidney. Sidney looked up, caught off guard. “Oh, yes, absolutely sublime.” 

Arthur seemed satisfied at that assessment. "I've selected a nicely aged white Bordeaux to accompany the fish, but I also understand if you'd prefer a white Rioja."

"Chef's choice," Sidney replied, which seemed to delight his brother to no end. After pouring the wine, Arthur again bowed dramatically and returned to the kitchen.

Sidney continued the discussion from before the interruption. “So if being in London is about the money, what would you do if you were free from having to earn a living?” Sidney asked.

Charlotte set her fork down and thought. “I would still do this. I like what I do. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been a designer had I not gotten distracted by a stupid marriage, but that industry isn’t really for me. I enjoy the creativity but I’m not exclusively an artist type like Arthur.”

"No one is, I believe," Sidney said with a laugh.

"And what about you? Would you return to that French bank, MSF?"

He snickered at the reference. "I'm not sure. I used to think I would, but I realize now there was a lot missing in my life." He looked down, "I suppose there still is, but it's different than when I left for Cameroon. For one, I have nieces and nephews now, and I don't want to be too far away while they're growing up."

"That's nice to be close to your family."

"Where's yours?"

Charlotte paused for a moment. "I grew up in a small town called Willingden, but none of my family is there any more. My father died in an accident when I was 14, and then my mother died of cancer two years later. I was the youngest by several years, so I went to live with my brother and his wife in London. They've since moved to Zurich. My other brother lives in Australia."

"I'm so sorry," Sidney said, looking at her with sympathy. 

"Oh, it's alright, I think he really likes Australia." She did not like talking about her family, and humor was an easy deflection - a cue Sidney immediately detected and didn't ask anything further.

"My parents used to run this resort, and then they 'gifted' it to the three of us. Tom and Arthur were perfectly suited for this business, but I didn't want anything to do with it at the time. Now they've retired to New Zealand to be farmers, and here we are."

"My dad was a farmer too," Charlotte added. "I'm surprised that's what they decided to do in retirement. That's hard work."

"I didn't say they were good at it," Sidney laughed.

Finally, Arthur brought forth dessert - two tartes. “Sidney said you probably wouldn’t be eating much, so I had our pastry chef create these small tartlets just to give you a taste of the roasted peaches with hot honey and fresh cream.” 

Sidney coughed and Charlotte burst out laughing. “Ok, Arthur, you did that on purpose!”

He looked at her blankly. “What do you mean?”

“The tart's description is so… evocative.”

He smiled slyly. “Why Ms. Heywood, you are a naughty one. The thought never crossed my mind. Did it for you, Sidney?”

He reddened. “Uh, could we have coffee as well, Arthur?”

“Of course! Charlotte, let me bring you something hot and strong, shall I?” he giggled.

Charlotte turned beet red. “His phrasing is intentionally suggestive.”

“He's incorrigible,” Sidney laughed in spite of his embarrassment.

“And what did you tell him about me not eating very much?”

“Oh,” Sidney hemmed. “I thought perhaps his menu was too ambitious when he told me about it, since this wasn’t going to be a large group.”

“You mean without Tom and Mary?”

“Well, originally, I had thought he was preparing this just for you.”

She frowned. “So you’re just here as my pity date?” She genuinely sounded hurt.

“No! Tom and Mary were supposed to be here. Truly. And I intended to be here from the start.”

Arthur returned with the coffees.

“Arthur, everything was extraordinary, inspired, phenomenal, I can’t come up with more adjectives to express my amazement. You must add all the dishes to your menu!” Charlotte exclaimed.

Arthur smiled proudly. “See, Sidney? Aren’t you glad you skipped class for this?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and asked “You intended to be here from the start, hm?”

"Um..." he stammered.

Arthur, thankfully, saved him. “Well, my favourite people, I must get back to the kitchen, but I’m absolutely thrilled you enjoyed our experience this evening. We will discuss more tomorrow during our meeting, yes Charlotte?”

“Of course, Arthur.”

“Good night, Charlotte, Sidney.” Charlotte burst into applause, which seemed fitting for such a performance. She took the opportunity of a break in the conversation/journey to excuse herself and ensure there was nothing stuck in her teeth. 

Sidney felt the buzz of a text message on his phone. 

Arthur: _Must I do all the work?_

Sidney: _What do you mean?_

Arthur: _Setting all these shots up for you_

Arthur: _Sid, she's practically devouring you for dessert_

Sidney: 🤦♂️

Charlotte: _Freaking out. Tom and Mary bailed. It's just me and Sidney_

Esther: 

Esther: _And how's dinner going?_

Charlotte: _Well, I haven't spilled food on myself, so pretty good I'd say_

Esther: _Good girl. Guys love it when you don't have food on your face_

Charlotte: _I haven't done this in awhile. I can't tell if I'm making an ass of myself_

Esther: _C, you're a goddess and even if you are an ass, you're a cute one!_

Charlotte: _Not helping_

Not wanting to keep Sidney waiting, she returned to the table, and said, “You know, you didn’t need to miss your class to come babysit me.”

“It’s not that we felt you needed to be babysat, but it seemed rude not to provide a welcome.”

“I see,” Charlotte said, dejectedly. “Well, the flowers were enough of a welcome, you didn’t need to also have a formal dinner.”

“Flowers?”

She laughed. “Yes, thank you or thank whomever in your office arranged for those.”

Sidney's expression grew serious. "Charlotte, I don't think we sent you flowers."


	11. Chapter 11

Sidney frowned. “May I see the flowers that were sent?”

“Sure." Investigating a stalker was not on the agenda, nor was bringing Sidney to her room, and this scenario definitely was not her preferred method of seduction.

"There isn't anything obviously wrong with them. And the card simply reads ‘Welcome Charlotte Heywood’ in print. Nothing else, but if you can help me figure this out, I’d feel much better.”

Once in Charlotte’s room, Sidney felt a bit self-conscious. Her clothes were strewn about the bed, and assorted lacy, transparent, tiny underthings were distracting him like...

“Sorry for the mess.”

...lacy, transparent, tiny underthings tend to do. He wondered if they still had her scent, if she tried them on before discarding them on...

"On the desk."

What happens on the desk? "Sorry?"

"The flowers." 

"Right," he needed to focus. "Is this how you left the room?”

"Are we playing inspector now?" she teased.

Can we? “I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure no one's been in here.”

“Yes, I was the only one,” she said following his gaze. “The flowers are on the desk. Not the bed,” she smirked.

He averted his eyes from her things, and went to the desk. Reading the card, it was as Charlotte described. Unremarkable. He looked at the vase, under the vase, lifted the flowers out, and looked inside. He felt ridiculous thinking there would be some obvious sign of Eliza.

“Well, I guess I was assuming there would be something that would clearly point to someone, but you’re right. There’s nothing.”

He took out his phone.

Sidney: _Did either of you send flowers to Charlotte?_

Tom: _No, I’m married_ 🤣

Mary: _No. Did Charlotte get someone else’s flowers by mistake?_

Sidney: _Definitely addressed to her. No indication who it was from. White roses_

Tom: _Perhaps a secret admirer? How romantic_

Sidney: _She doesn’t seem to know who it could be_

Tom: _Wait, white roses? Hang on_

Mary: _BTW Arthur said dinner went well_ 😉

Sidney: _OMG not you too, Mary_

Mary: 😻

Tom: _I got an email today mentioning white roses_

Sidney: _Is it from the florist?_

Tom: _I don’t recognize the address. I thought it was spam so I deleted it. Just forwarded it to you. Doesn’t say much_

Sidney read the sparse email - _"Even the white rose casts a black shadow" -_ and looked at Charlotte, who was deep in thought. 

Mary: _Is there a concern?_

Sidney: _Hard to say. Charlotte said she used to have a stalker. I’ll contact security_

Tom: 👍

Tom: _So how was dinner?? Arthur said_ _things are getting_ 🔥💥 _??_

Sidney: _WTF why is everyone taking the piss today?_

He switched back to the email and turned back to Charlotte. “Tom said he got this email today. He didn’t think anything of it, so he didn’t mention anything until just now.” He passed his phone to her. “Does this mean anything to you?”

She looked at email, but drew a blank. “It sounds like someone is trying to discredit me.”

Sidney looked around the room. “Why don’t you gather your things, and I’ll have you moved to a different room.”

As he stepped out to make the arrangements, Charlotte packed up her things and looked again at the flowers, but felt ill just thinking of their origins. There wasn’t anything sinister or threatening in the note, but she was assuming the worst. If it was the same stalker from years ago, then there was one person who would have shared knowledge.

Charlotte: _Hi Evan_

She hated that she had to contact him, and she wished she could just be rid of him once and for all. At the same time, there were so few people who even knew what she went through, that Evan - despite being the biggest piece of shit in existence - was proof that Charlotte’s past was actually real, and that was a bizarre comfort that she couldn't explain to anyone including herself.

Evan: _Well hello Mrs. Shay_

Charlotte: _I never had that name, so no need to call me that_

Evan: _So what’s up babe_

Charlotte: _Are you getting weird stalkers again?_

Evan: _Hm, I can’t recall. Oh, wait, I’m Evan Fucking Shay, so yeah, I have stalkers_

Such an insufferable arsehole.

Charlotte: _Anything different lately?_

Evan: _Why? You getting dildos again?_

Charlotte: _Just need to know if there’s anything new or odd_

Evan: _No, just the assorted used panties_

Charlotte: 🤢

Charlotte: _K thanks_

Evan: _Hey if you’re being stalked, look at it this way - it means you’re still relevant_ 😘

Charlotte made a face of disgust, and then slumped down on the bed. That exchange didn't yield anything. She put her face in her hands.

Sidney returned. “I’ve arranged for your things … are you alright?”

She sat up quickly. “I’m fine.”

He looked at her concerned. “Security is looking into whether there has been anything suspicious with the flowers or the room. And I asked that they hold the flowers at the desk in case you want to have the detectives look at them.”

“Thanks, I’m sure there is a simple explanation but since I’ve been through this before, it just feels unsettlingly familiar.”

“And it’s definitely not a boyfriend? Or ex-boyfriend?” He hoped that sounded subtle. Probably didn’t.

“Neither. Well, there was a guy I said I didn’t want to see any more, but we were never a thing. And he wouldn’t know I’m here.”

“I admit I assumed it came from Eliza, but the front desk said it came from a different florist.” He paused, and put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you ok?”

She did not want to admit that she was disturbed, but the warmth of his touch was too comforting to let end. “I will be, though I may just hang out downstairs for a bit. Don’t worry, no need to babysit me.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving you until you feel ok.”

“How chivalrous. Really, I’ll be alright on my own.”

“But _I_ won’t be alright, knowing that I left you on your own.” She assumed he was being sarcastic, but was surprised that his expression was actually sincere.

“That is really kind of you,” she said, unsure of how else to respond.

“How about we walk off some of Arthur’s culinary voyage?” he suggested.

She smiled. “Yes, please, that was about three courses more than I’m accustomed to.”

“Feel like going back to the beach? I promise I won’t go swimming,” he smiled.

“Well, why would I want to go then?” she laughed. 

They'd been walking in silence until they were down on the sand, at the edge of the waves and not far from where Charlotte ran into him before. It was impossible to walk in her heels, so she took them off and left them on the sand to walk in her bare feet, and Sidney did the same.

“Did they ever catch your stalker?”

“No, the harassing emails and tweets dropped off significantly after the annulment.”

“Was there more besides emails and tweets, may I ask?”

“My car was burgled a few times. Nothing was taken, but odd things were left behind.”

“Odd things?”

“Lollipops, bananas, cucumbers, sausages...”

“Subtle.”

“Sometimes random things were left at the house, but Evan said that had been going on for years. Those were pretty standard fangirl gifts - flowers, knickers, an occasional sex toy.”

“Oh, useful.”

“Right? It’s always good to have spares,” she replied dryly. “But then came the photos. Pictures of me getting coffee, getting my hair cut or whatever. The creepiest was one of me leaving a waxing salon.”

Sidney’s mind wandered.

“After a package came to the house with pictures of Evan snogging one of my friends, I never went back there.”

“And then nothing until recently?”

“Just the things you told me about."

He stopped walking. “Charlotte, I feel bad this started with your involvement here. I hope it's not related to your old case.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” she said unconvincingly, and shivered partly from the cool air.

“I'm sorry, I didn’t realize it would be so cold. Here,” he removed his jacket and held it open for her to put on, her small frame nearly swallowed up in the material. Her hair brushed his hands, and he could faintly detect the soft sweet and spicy scent of her perfume. His hands lingered on her shoulders.

Again, he found himself distracted from the sensory stimulation. The feel of her body through his jacket. The sound of her breath quickening. The delicate bouquet of her skin and the carefully calibrated scents of her skincare, smelling of femininity and sex. All neurons firing, alerting him and his hormones - This. Is. Not. A. Drill.

She pulled the jacket around her and looked back at him, smiling slightly. “Well thank you, but now you’ll be cold.”

“I like it cold, remember?”

“You are singular in that regard,” she replied.

“I saw you put your feet in the water that night. Don’t say you didn’t enjoy the thrill of being so alive in that moment.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Hm. Was that the thrilling part?” she said, more to herself than aloud. “I guess I don’t mind being cold if I know warmth is imminent.”

“So you’d go in the sea, if, say, you could immediately go into the sauna?” he prompted.

“Oh, I don’t like that question,” she laughed nervously.

“Just let your feet get wet, and then we’ll go back to the spa at the pool.”

She looked at the lapping waves, and then turned to look up the path which was now farther than she had thought. “That is still a long way to walk with cold wet feet.”

“Would you rather just stay warm then?” At that moment, she felt his hand on her waist, and turned back to face him. He pulled her closer and pressed her to him. She was momentarily surprised, then let herself move against him. She pulled aside the jacket so their bodies could be closer and warmer, so much warmer. She looked up at his strikingly intense eyes, and she could resist no longer. Her hand climbed the side of his neck and she felt the heat spread instantly, awakening her skin, her limbs, her core. He brought his lips to hers, and the spark that lit her senses fully ignited her desire, and she was fucking lost.

She clung to him, and her hand cradled the back of his neck, her fingers sliding into his hair. The taste of his tongue drove her insane, and she could feel his breath hot on her cheek, and when he moved his mouth down her neck, she nearly sprang out of her skin. Or perhaps it was from the freezing water now lapping at their shins.

In their otherworldly moment, neither had noticed the waves creeping closer and even after their feet and ankles were submerged, the thrill of their lips, tongues, chests pressing against each other, and the related arousal in both of them easily eclipsed any sensation below the knees. But now their clothes were getting wet and the cold water was climbing up their legs. Charlotte gasped and looked down, her dress now inches deep in the water.

She burst out laughing. “You tricked me into getting my feet wet!”

“I did no such thing. I asked if you wanted to stay warm. Did I keep you warm?”

She moved close to him again, and pulled him in for another kiss. “Yes,” she breathed. “But you also got me wet.”

The double entendre was too much, and while both of their minds were already ten steps ahead and engaged in pornographic fantasies, their physical bodies were still wet and very much on the open beach.

He guided her out of the water, on to the path and back to the resort, her new room key still in his possession. A new warm room awaited, with a hot shower and a warm bed - a setting to sanctify and/or pervert whatever it was developing between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Petalutha914, MissTMA and Eliza19 for teaching me British slang! 😁


	12. Chapter 12

omg, omg, omg

Should we be doing this?

do it, do it, do it

Charlotte held the hem of her wet dress in one hand and Sidney’s hand in the other, as they hurried back to the resort. She was shivering. They hadn’t said anything since getting out of the water, and with each step, the reality was getting a little too real. Was he feeling hesitant as well? She couldn’t read him. Charlotte thought about her shoes left somewhere in the sand. Bummer. Those were cute.

“Are you alright?”

“We forgot our shoes down there.”

“Do you want me to go back?”

“No.” Did she say that too quickly? “Let’s get warm.”

They found themselves in front of Charlotte’s room. Sidney paused, drew her hands to him and pulled out her key from his pocket. He looked at her thoughtfully, and handed it to her. “I think I better leave you here, Charlotte.”

Shit. “What do you mean?”

In an instant, they’d gone from ready-for-liftoff to crash landing, and she wasn’t sure what she had done to change things so dramatically.

“I think maybe this might be…”

“It’s the flowers, isn’t it? You think I’m some kind of magnet for craziness,” she blurted out. No one wants to be affiliated with crazy. She should never have said anything about Evan or the stalker, or probably anything about anything. Maybe she could take a vow of silence for the rest of her life, assuming the earth wasn’t going to cooperate and swallow her whole right now.

"This never happens. In the past two years, I haven't had any stalker activity..." she sputtered.

"No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he tried to reassure her. “What I mean is I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

“You think this is a mistake?” This was getting worse. How could she have misunderstood this situation so badly? She tried to keep her cool. “Of course, I shouldn’t have let this go so far.”

He could see she was blinking faster, her shoulders tensed. “No, that’s not what I mean, Charlotte,” he said, trying to reverse the feelings he had triggered inadvertently.

She pulled back. Fucks remaining: zero.

“Sidney, I don’t know what’s going on. You didn’t like me when I got here, then you act like you maybe being around me is fine, to the point where you seem like you care about my well-being. And then you flirt with me,” she stammered, “Look, I can’t help but get really turned on when you kiss me like that. But I suppose I’m completely misreading you.” From her heart to her lungs to her eyes to her voice, the panic was spreading and leaving pain in its wake.

He shook his head. “No, no, I'm sorry, I’m not being very clear,” he said, frustrated at himself. “This feels _different_. _Unique_. And I want to be careful.”

She looked at him expressionless. “Did you get another warning email - about me being toxic or whatever?” She was disheartened that an anonymous email could stick in Charlotte's mind so stubbornly, but worse, that Sidney would have believed it.

“No! That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said cautiously. “I think we got a little wrapped up in ourselves down there, and as much as I would love to keep that going behind this door, and get us out of these wet clothes,” he needed to concentrate, “I want to make sure this stays on the right course.”

“For?”

He paused, looked at her with surprise. “Charlotte, this isn’t some sort of amusement for me. If I go in there with you, there’s a risk I might ruin something.” Charlotte recalled the words of that email he had forwarded to her. _Whorewood is a worthless, toxic bitch. She ruined Evan and she’ll ruin you._

“Or there’s a risk that we might validate something,” she countered, and then instantly regretted saying that. It sounded desperate. “Nevermind. You’re right, I still have work to do for the resort, so if there is any concern that I’m going to ruin you, maybe you should reserve judgment until later.”

“I didn’t say _you_ would ruin anything." His brow furrowed in concern. He continued, haltingly, "I guess what I'm asking is if you would be willing to wait until you're done with your assignment here?”

She paused, and thought about how difficult tomorrow was going to be. “Maybe.”

He tried not to let his disappointment show. “Well then, I have an important meeting tomorrow with a badass consultant, so I should get some sleep." He brought her hands to his lips. "Good night, Charlotte."

She let herself in the room, and sighed. So that happened.

She looked around, saw her bags lined against the wall, and sitting beside them, neatly arranged, were her and Sidney’s shoes.

“Sidney!” Charlotte ran out of the room and down the hall, catching up to him.

Ok, universe, you win. If fate mandated things were supposed to get freaky this night and that was as much as he could hope for, Sidney was not going to resist. Quick! Smoulder.

“Sidney! Your shoes, my shoes. How? Why? They were on the beach.” She was agitated and talking quickly. 

“Whoa, slow down.”

“How did they get inside my room?!”

He looked at her, baffled. “Wait, what?”

She led him back to her room, opened the door, and together, they stood looking stupidly at the shoes. In the midst of their hormone outbreak, neither noticed anyone following them, or even anyone else on the beach. Yet obviously someone had taken their shoes and beat them back to Charlotte’s room.

It didn’t take long for Sidney to consult the security footage and learn the shoes were left with the front desk, and then delivered to Charlotte’s room by the porter. The footage of the front desk revealed the shoes were left by a blond woman.

“Eliza. I knew it,” Sidney said.

“So she was following us?” Charlotte asked, incredulously.

“She had to have been. She picked up our things when we were still walking and brought them up here before we came back. I can’t see any other explanation.”

Charlotte paused, and looked at him apprehensively. “So, is she obsessed with you?”

“Em, I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Sidney, I have a confession. I Googled Eliza when I suspected that you two had history with each other, and I saw she used to be a hardcore Evangelist back in the day. So I’m guessing she’s trying to get rid of me, so she can be with you,” she said flatly. Now that she knew this was not the same stalker from years ago, it was a huge relief to Charlotte. There was something he wasn't telling her, and if Eliza wanted Sidney this badly, she was not going to interfere.

“You know, there is a silver lining here. Like you said, maybe we need to ensure things stay on course.” She stiffened and tried to right her emotions to a position of control. “Well, I can honestly say that dinner took several unexpected turns. Thank you for a very interesting evening, Sidney. Definitely a surprise ending.” She rose and started back to her room. 

Sidney didn’t have a response, but he could see that the tables had turned. Charlotte no longer seemed concerned that Sidney might get scared off by her past, but instead, seemed unwilling to sort through his.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he ran to catch up with her. “What happened just now? You became a different person. Was that Charlotte Shaywood?”

That stung. “You didn’t know me then, Sidney. How can you possibly make that conclusion?”

“No, I didn’t know you then, but I got to know you now, and that was definitely not you. What’s really on your mind?”

She pursed her lips for a moment. “Sidney, I don’t want to get in the midst of whatever it is you have with Eliza.”

“I don’t have anything with her,” he said, irritated. With a deep sigh, he continued. “The truth is we dated a long time ago. Things didn’t end well with us, and that was about when I left for Cameroon. I think the only reason she’s making herself known in the first place is because she’s jealous of you."

That couldn't be the whole story. "If Eliza has some kind of problem with me because I used to be married to Evan, well, that's irrational and immature. I'm not with Evan, and I'm not with you. If she wants to be with you, and you don't want to be with her, then you're the one that is going to have to convince her that that has nothing to do with me."

"You don't think I’m still involved with her, right? Who would want to be involved with someone that does stuff like this?”

“That’s not for me to judge,” she answered.

“You can’t accuse me of thinking you’re a magnet for craziness and then turn around do the same to me.”

Her face startled at the comparison, and she thought about the truth of that. “No, I suppose not.”

He exhaled and forced the tension out of his expression. "Charlotte, please. I feel something special with you. I'm not going to lie. If we had been anywhere but on that beach tonight, we might not have made it back. Hookups are fine - I mean, a lot more than fine; they're a fucking blast. But there's something about me that always seems to want more, out of everything - this town, my work, the people I'm with, myself. If that's unfair to ask, I apologize. I was just hoping perhaps you felt the same way." 

The memory of 'more' was coming back to her. The thrill, the intoxication, euphoria of having feelings for someone, of falling in love. The joy and the sanctity of a shared experience with someone she loved. The absence of all those emotions in her life was a vacuum that had been sucking on her soul for a good ten years. The abyss beckoned.

"It's not easy for me to even dare to want that, you know," she answered.

"For me either."

She looked back at him, trying to remove the filter of defensive distancing, and wondered if those eyes could also betray her. "But I think do."

He smiled to himself with a degree of relief. "Then I have a reason to hope." He bent his head to hers, and kissed her again, the urgency of passion replaced with reverence.

"Now, I think I should get some sleep and finally get out of this wet dress.”

He smiled at her and pressed his forehead to hers. “Yes, I should as well. Text me if you have any other problems tonight. See you in the morning."

* * *

Sidney: _Eliza, it’s Sidney_

Eliza: _babes. i knew u’d come around! bit late for chat. did u have something else on ur mind_ 😉😜👄🍆🎆

Sidney: _I know you followed me tonight, and that you had the shoes sent to Charlotte Heywood’s room. I think you know that's harassment and intimidation._

Eliza: _bloody hell, sid. lighten up_ 🙄 _it was a joke_

Sidney: _Please don’t do that again. And definitely don’t follow me again._

Eliza: _i wasn’t following, i just happened to be on site, and thought i'd go for a walk_

Sidney: _That’s not credible. We have security footage of you bringing the shoes to the front desk. They said you instructed them to deliver both shoes to Ms. Heywood’s room. Please do not harass Charlotte or any of the resorts’ guests. We have alerted our security team._

Eliza: _i saw u, thought u'd think it was funny if they showed up in her room. u know u should be more careful, sid. i wonder if tom and mary know you were snogging your “consultant”_

Sidney: _You don’t need to wonder. It’s not your business. Thanks. Also please, no more creepy messages or anonymous floral arrangement_

Eliza: _?_

Sidney: _We know you went through another florist. Don’t play such games. And this will be the last time we communicate via text. Any communications can go through the main line at the resort._

Eliza: _sid, i didn’t send any messages or flowers_

**Message not sent. This person isn’t receiving messages right now.**

* * *

Eliza: _that little fucking bitch_

Zara: _who_

Eliza: _charlotte heywood_

Zara: _whorewood? u talked to her?_

Eliza: _no, sidney’s fucking her, i know it. i saw them snogging, and he just blocked me_

Zara: 😮 _u got back together with him? nice_

Eliza: _not exactly but it was going to happen_

Zara: _do u think she’s still in touch with evan shay?_

Eliza: _fuck if I know_

Zara: _so what r u gonna do? revenge sex?_

Eliza: 😈 

Zara: _u think he'd be susceptible if he blocked u?_

Eliza: _doesn't need to be between me and him_ 😜

Zara: _u bad lizzie_


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't express how humbled I am by the kind comments all you awesome readers leave. To say it's a thrill to get that notification of a comment or kudos is an understatement, and I probably need an intervention. This week has been absolutely bananas in the US! Thank you to all you sexy readers out there. You make everything ok!

Charlotte lay awake, analyzing the nights’ extreme highs and lows. There was no amount of self-stimulation that could resolve her overwrought anxiety. So she found herself drinking minibar wine and comfort-shopping, until she had spent a decent amount on panties, dystopian lit and an entire K-beauty product line. Sometimes melancholia was just what she wanted. All she needed was a rainstorm, a fireplace, and big furry dog. Until then, a bag of crisps and Tik Tok videos would suffice.

Tik Tok scrolling turned into social media scrolling, which rapidly descended into social media snooping. (She wasn’t proud of it, but after a couple mini-wines who gives a shit, amiright?) Evan was out of rehab, and evidently getting lean and ripped for a new role. To his credit, he looked pretty good - a lot better than the last picture she had seen of him. Business Monster was in New York for the weekend. Hot But Forgettable was shirtless, doing something. Boring Banker had a tomahawk steak for dinner, and apparently got engaged. Cool. Cool. Cool.

Charlotte: _I don’t think this old-fashioned approach you guys were talking about is for me_

Clara: _Why not?_

Charlotte: _I’m no good at it_

Esther: _Don’t tell me you fucked it up so quickly? I literally was just chatting with you hours ago_

Charlotte: _What can I say. I’m efficient_

Clara: _Things didn’t pan out with Sidney?_

Charlotte: _No, some weird shit went down. Eliza apparently followed us and stole our shoes._

Clara: 

Esther: _I have so many questions_

Charlotte: _Ok, well, long story short. Sidney and I went for a walk on the beach, kinda made out, but it died on the vine. I think I cut to the chase too quickly and he didn’t like that._

Clara: _So how do the shoes fit in this story?_

Charlotte: _So I got back to my room, which I had to change because I got mystery flowers, and in the new room, were our shoes that we left on the beach._

Esther: 

Esther: _Charlotte, you're not making sense_

Charlotte: _Ok, well I've been drinking the minibar wine and I'm pretty drunk_

Clara: _I told you not to drink the minibar stuff! Those are expensive!_

Charlotte: _Eliza followed us on the beach, stole the shoes when we weren't looking, and told the front desk to put them in my room - apparently as a joke_

Clara: _Fuckin A!_

Esther: 

Charlotte: _EXACTLY_

Clara: _So how'd you leave it with Sidney?_

Clara: _He said wait til the assignment is over_

Clara: 

Esther: _That’s a good sign_

Clara: _He’s bf material for sure_

Charlotte: _Yeah but I’m not sure I’m gf material. I have zero success with relationships_

Clara: _Technically, we all do, until we don’t. That’s kinda how it works_

Esther: _Stay in the game. You are gf material, you are relationship material. You just need to find the right relationship_

Charlotte: _What’s new with you guys_

Clara: _Might go to the Lightning Fields festival this weekend_

Charlotte: _Oh shit, I forgot that was this weekend_

Clara: _You coming back to London for that?_

There was once a time when she wouldn’t have missed an EDM festival, but recently she found them tedious. She put up with them when she was with Clara and Esther, and even sometimes with James who seemed to plan everything else around them. This time, she was secretly glad to have the excuse of being out of town.

Charlotte: _I might stay here for the weekend. Need to be back on Monday, and I’m not sure it’s worth the drive back and forth_

Esther: _Maybe I’ll come to surprise Babbers then_

Charlotte: _Yay! Then I won’t be alone_

Esther: _Oh, like you were going to be alone_

Charlotte: _I think it would be better if I were at least to stay away from Sidney_

Clara: _Fiver says she and Sidney get it on this weekend_

Esther: _Clara!_

Charlotte: _Clara, you sent that to the group chat, you know_

Clara: 😬 _Oops! You know I_ 💖 _you, right, Charlie?_

In a final attempt to fall asleep to pleasant dreams, Charlotte began her ritual of watching nature documentaries. When she was a child, her father would put on Planet Earth and let the scenes of nature lull Charlotte to sleep - a habit she kept as an adult when she couldn’t sleep. Why wasn’t David Attenborough 60 years younger?

 _“Reintroduction of the female to the wild can be tricky for conservationists.”_ The dulcet tones of his voice always had a soothing effect on Charlotte.

 _“Few leopards are left, so what our hidden cameras have captured verges on the miraculous.”_ Kinky nature documentarian voyeurs.

 _“A female leopard. And she is tracking a male.”_ The female rubs her head on the male’s who snarls in return. She walks off, then returns, purring and growling, her tail flipping from side to side. She lies down, and places her head on her front paws.

 _“Such meetings are becoming increasingly rare.”_ Girl, same. The male leopard mounts the female, nuzzles her neck, bites her and then, just seconds later, jumps off with a growl. He's fast _and_ he's furious.

 _“This briefest of unions may only be a short-term solution for their future. In the long term, there would need to be a more involved investment.”_ Charlotte drifted off, comforted by nature and by not being a leopard. 

* * *

The rest of the week went quickly. The days were long, as Charlotte spent many hours with the Parkers and the staff, conducting interviews and going deep into understanding their business.

Charlotte notified the detectives about the flowers and Eliza, but again, she was told the risk was low and that since Eliza admitted to taking the shoes, it was up to her and Sidney to file a civil complaint, which seemed thoroughly petty and a waste of time. 

Hence, she immersed herself into the work, which helped to distract herself from her emotions. She busied herself with making arrangements for lighting consultants, decorators, stylists to come for modifications that would go a long way toward changing the atmosphere.

And as one of her favorite parts of the plan, she was able to call on her old friends from the fashion institute to design new uniforms for the staff. Overall, the resort’s new look and feel would be edgier, sexier and cooler.

Everyone seemed excited about the changes - except Sidney.

“Have you seen these estimates from these ‘specialists’ Charlotte has coming in? They’re outrageous! We don’t need new uniforms for the staff. The lighting scheme does not need to change, and since when does anyone need an orchid tunnel?!” he wondered aloud to Mary and Tom.

“Oh, that’s my favorite part! Didn’t you see that at the flower show, Sidney? It was one of the most popular displays!” Mary exclaimed.

“But did you see how much this is going to cost us every month going forward? The same amount as a school's budget for food in Cameroon, might I add.”

“Look, I know it seems like a lot, Sidney, but these are the big splash items that will make it onto people’s Facegrams,” Tom explained.

“You mean Facebook? Or Instagram?” Mary suggested.

“Whatever. It’s free publicity!”

“Fine, but what about the uniforms? There is nothing wrong with our current uniforms.”

“Apart from the fact that they’re frumpy and make the front desk look like dinner ladies?” Tom countered.

“The front desk is staffed by men and women, Tom,” Sidney replied.

“Exactly! Everyone looks like a dinner lady.”

“You didn’t care two weeks ago, Tom. Suddenly you're Mr. Couture? Did you know the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases? And nearly 100 million tonnes of textiles wind up in landfills each year?”

Tom managed to hide his eye roll with a turn of the head.

“Sidney, have you brought this up with Charlotte? I don’t think your concern is invalid,” Mary offered.

In fact, he had not. He and Charlotte had very little interaction apart from group meetings since their dinner/beach/stalker debacle evening. Given that she hadn’t so much as spoken to him alone, he was starting to conclude he had fumbled the entire interaction with her.

“I’ll look over all these and have a word with her.”

He found Charlotte in the restaurant, speaking with Arthur about his new menu.

“Sidney! Arthur’s new menu is so ambitious!” Charlotte looked at him with enthusiasm, her eyes lit up and she seemed glad to see him. He felt a degree of relief that she wasn’t giving him the cold shoulder.

Of all the resort management, Arthur was obviously the most enthused about the changes Charlotte was instigating, mostly because the biggest changes revolved around the restaurant.

“We’re going to have a chef’s table right in the kitchen. We’ll only serve local chefs and special guests, and we’ll bring in the local fishermen and farmers to discuss what they’re seeing in the food supply.”

“I thought it might be helpful to not only keep the ingredients local, but also to ensure sustainability,” Charlotte followed.

“I think that’s a great way to bring the community along with our changes,” Sidney smiled.

“Yes, given that was one of the main objectives.” Normally, her clients were all about profits and loss, so budgets were stretched to cover renovations, and little was left for community relations.

“Oh! And I can’t wait for the grand re-opening party!” Arthur exclaimed.

“Party?” Sidney’s eyebrows raised and then furrowed.

“It’s mostly a press event,” Charlotte explained, sensing Sidney tallying the expenses as the conversation went on.

“Charlotte, I’d like go over some of these proposals and see if I can understand their purpose.”

“Is there a concern about the budget? I think everything should be in line with the original estimate,” she said, concerned.

“It’s less about the budget and more about whether these are really the most responsible things we should be doing.”

“What do you mean, Sidney?!” Arthur laughed but was clearly rankled.

“Don't worry, Arthur, I’m not talking about your menu or sustainability or anything. That all makes sense. But what about these new uniforms? We’ll be wasting so much. And the flowers! The orchid installation alone is massive.”

Charlotte paused. She did not want to sound defensive, but she felt this was a criticism of her frivolity again. “And what is the alternative that would make you feel better about these?”

“Don’t do them!”

She looked at him, baffled. “Are you feeling these are large expenses with little return?”

“Yes, that is exactly my concern. The uniforms specifically have more than just a monetary expense. We can’t just donate those. No one will wear used hotel uniforms. It's a huge waste.”

“Especially ones that are so ugly,” Arthur quipped.

“I see.” Charlotte didn’t have an answer about what to do with old uniforms. That had never been a question her clients had asked. They were only interested in how much the new uniforms would cost.

“Look, Charlotte, I am willing to keep an open mind, but I’m asking if you can think beyond the numbers and factor in the bigger impact.”

“I’ll certainly look at the options.”

“And the orchid installation…”

“That is not negotiable!” Arthur said emphatically. “I want that as part of the restaurant, so if you are blanching at the cost, Sidney, I’ll assume that under my expenses.”

“Ok ok. You see the value in the monthly maintenance expense, then, Arthur?”

“Absolutely. I’m also thinking it won’t always be orchids, but something seasonal and will tie thematically to our seasonal menu. It's an entire experience, Sid. Trust me.”

“Oh, you’ve discussed this already then,” Sidney replied.

Arthur laughed, and answered “No need to worry yourself, brother. We’ve got it under control. You can just sit back and look pretty.”

Sidney cast a glare at him.

“Now, Arthur,” Charlotte laughed. “You better be careful not to draw the ire of the money man.”

“True! Otherwise I might find myself without a kitchen. Which reminds me, my favourites, I need to get back to work and prep for dinner. Oh, Sidney, I asked Charlotte to join the group for drinks tomorrow. Hope you guys don’t mind! Ta!” With that, he headed back to the kitchen.

“Well then,” Sidney chuckled.

“Well then,” she answered back.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to tell you how to do your job.”

“No, I’m here to make your visions into reality so the more I know about what you want to achieve, the better job I can do in kind.”

“These issues are important to me. I saw a lot of suffering in my last job. And I don’t want to lose sight of what the rest of the world has to go through just to have the basics.”

She considered his words and answered, “I think I understand better now. No client has ever had that perspective, and now I’m feeling everyone should.”

“Well, it’s a lot harder, but also most people haven’t seen what I’ve seen. And frankly, a lot of people just don’t have the long-term in mind.”

“That’s true. Instant gratification tends to much more appealing than the involved investment.” Female leopards don’t always have a choice, you know. “It’s hard to know if there will be a longer term.”

“There’s always a longer term,” he answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The script of Sir David Attenborough's leopard scene is taken from "Our Planet: From Deserts to Grasslands" on Netflix. I kinda played fast and loose with the exact wording, but if you want to see the scene represented in the story here is the link (starting around 11:45): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmtXC_n6X6Q  
> BTW, how gorgeous are these leopards??


	14. Chapter 14

Esther emerged from the train station looking absolutely spectacular - ~~wearing~~ rocking new boots, her favorite jeans and an emerald fitted sweater that set off her freshly styled red hair, not to mention her curves. If there had been a crowd on the platform, they would have parted.

Charlotte smiled approvingly. “Yaaas Queen!” Charlotte bowed her head in respect. “I'm gonna marry you myself, you look so good. The locals are going to go mad.”

“Is it too much?” Esther whispered.

“You look this good every day, I don’t know what you mean.”

“Aren’t you the best? Don’t know how anyone can resist a smooth talker like you.”

After dropping off Esther’s bag at the resort, they drove toward the pub, which was packed with the people welcoming the end of the work week.

“Parking is just as bad here as in London,” Charlotte remarked, finally pulling into a spot down the road. Once inside, the women were struck by the density of people and looked around to see if there were any familiar faces.

“Charlotte! Esther!” a man’s voice boomed from the back. It was Arthur, ruddy and clearly having a great time. They made their way back, and found the rest of the Parkers, Frank and a couple other staff members from the resort. Esther greeted everyone warmly, but Charlotte knew she was looking around for Will.

“So happy you ladies could join us!” Tom exclaimed. Mary, who was beside him, jumped up to give the two a hug, glad to have the company of additional women in the throng of men.

“Will went to the bar,” she said knowingly to Esther, with a wink. Seems no one has secrets here in Sanditon.

“Oh, perhaps I’ll go surprise him,” Esther replied. “Charlotte, do I look ok?"

“You’re all clear, kid,” Charlotte assured her, gave a gentle shove toward the bar, as Esther straightened her posture and strutted away.

“Babbers has no idea what’s coming for him, does he?” Sidney said, walking up to Charlotte.

“She’s totally smitten, you know.” Charlotte answered. “I've never seen her like this.”

Charlotte watched Esther approach Will who had his back toward the table. Evidently she startled him, as he turned and his jaw dropped from shock. A warm and genuine smile spread across his face, and he drew in to kiss her on the cheek. She immediately rested her arm on his shoulder where it stayed for the rest of the evening.

“That wasn’t a bad surprise,” Charlotte said, relieved.

“Doesn’t look like he was disappointed to me,” Sidney said with an understanding smile, and tried to catch Charlotte’s line of sight but she looked down. She felt the draw of his eyes, and was tempted to look back, but she lost her nerve thinking about his words from the other night. It was one thing to chat with him in meetings, talking about uniforms and budgets, and quite another to be in a social setting, talking about the budding romance between their friends.

Instead, Charlotte turned to Mary, and asked her about the children. They talked for quite a while, Mary much more relaxed now they were out of the work environment and off the clock.

“I’m so sorry about that business with the flowers and the shoes. You haven't had a problem since, have you?” Mary asked.

“Oh, no. And really, I'm fine. There are always going to be bullies who want to tear you down, and I’ve accepted that.”

Mary frowned. “That’s an unfortunate conclusion to come to.”

“The flowers were nothing. If there were any real threats, those would be taken seriously. I’m not a willing target and I will not be threatened.”

On the other side of Sidney, Crowe leaned in. “No love there, Parker?”

“No comment, Crowe.”

“Unlucky, mate. This is why you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot,” he said, sardonically. 

“Charlotte!” Arthur now joined the group and squeezed himself in between Charlotte and Sidney. “Make room, Sidney, you’re not being a very good conversationalist.” Sidney was annoyed that his friends and family were pestering him about Charlotte, but he supposed she was a novelty to them.

“I take exception to that! I’m highly entertaining,” he answered, defensively.

“Fair enough, but does anyone else know that?”

Mary and Charlotte laughed, and Charlotte couldn’t help but defend Sidney. “Arthur, you’re going to wind up with a hot plate, a coffee maker and no staff!”

“So Charlotte,” Arthur leaned in. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

She made a face, startled at the forwardness of his question. “Uh, no.”

“Are you dating anyone?” Arthur said, then suddenly flinching from a kick under the table from someone.

“N-no…” she answered hesitatingly.

“And what would you say is your 'type?'”

She reddened.

“Arthur!” Mary interjected, “I think you’re embarrassing Charlotte.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, darling! I was just curious what dating is like for someone who is so busy. Also, I have an excellent record at matchmaking. I brought Tom and Mary together, you know.”

“Oh really?” Charlotte smiled at Mary. “Can we talk about that story instead? Please?”

“Well, Mary was my tutor when I was in secondary school," he started, then glanced deliberately at Sidney and continued. "Let’s say my brother was being an asshat and wouldn’t be honest about how he felt, so I set them up so he wouldn’t have to put himself out there. Right, Mary?”

She laughed and turned her head to roll her eyes at Charlotte. “Oh, yes, that is exactly what happened!”

“So tell me, Charlotte. Do you fancy the handsome, good-hearted, philosophically-minded, reserved types?” Arthur pressed.

Frank burst out laughing. “Well, that rules me out!”

“Arthur!” Mary pleaded, and mouthed “Stop!”

Charlotte coughed, and was now red from her ears to her chest. “Oh, where is there a giant meteor when you need one?” she muttered.

“Give it a rest, Arthur,” Sidney said. He had enough and was not enjoying being the target of Arthur’s ridicule.

Charlotte cleared her throat, and conceded, “I do."

She thought she saw Sidney's eyes shift.

“But who wouldn’t, right? And yes, my schedule can be unpredictable. But I control it, which is one of the best things about being your own boss.”

Arthur chuckled. “Very good, and would you consider dating someone not in London?”

She hesitated. “If he’s someone special who thinks likewise of me, then location really wouldn’t matter.”

“Very good indeed, Charlotte.” Arthur was now smiling proudly and prodding Sidney, who looked like he also wanted to disappear. 

"Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go die of embarrassment,” Charlotte stood. “Where is the loo?”

She ran into Esther, who seemed practically giddy.

“Oh, you're enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” Charlotte teased.

“I confess I’m completely lost,” Esther sighed.

“No, you’re beyond lost. You are so far gone, a search party won't be able to find you.”

Esther gave a coy look. “It _is_ nice to be able to see him face-to-face, after all the Facetime chats.”

“Shall I assume you and I will be leaving separately tonight?" Charlotte teased.

Esther gave her a sidelong glance. "I can find my way back."

"Meanwhile, I’m dying over there. Arthur is a relentless busybody.”

“Well, maybe he can get through to Sidney.”

Charlotte shrugged. “He asked me to wait, so I can’t exactly force anything, can I?”

Esther gave her friend a knowing look. “You won’t have to force anything, darling.”

As Charlotte headed back to the table, two pairs of eyes followed her from across the room.

“She is shorter than I thought she’d be,” Zara said, and Eliza agreed. “So are you going to take any pictures tonight?”

“No, I couldn’t sell the ones from the beach, and those were far more steamy. Nothing’s going on here,” Eliza responded.

Zara sat thoughtfully for a moment. “Who did she come in with?”

“That redhead over there with Sidney’s friend, Babbers. They seemed to hit it off immediately.” She smiled slyly.

They sat, eying Will and Esther who resumed their close positions, staring at one another as they talked, and gently touching each other’s hair, clothing, hands, completely oblivious to all around them.

Zara turned back to Charlotte. “Do you think she ever gets back together with Evan Shay?”

“I'm sure she does. I mean, _I_ almost got back with Sidney. Still might," Eliza said indifferently. "Would you want to get together with your ex from five years ago?”

“Gross, no.” she shuddered. “But if it was Evan Shay…" she smirked. "For sure, I would. Would you, if you had the chance?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely," Eliza didn't even have to think about that question.

“You know, Evan’s on social media. Maybe _he’d_ be interested in the pictures," Zara suggested. "Then maybe he’d come to Sanditon.”

Eliza’s eyebrows raised, and she tilted her head back to look at her friend with approval. “Zara, I like your thinking.”

Charlotte returned to the table, just as Tom and Mary were preparing to leave to relieve the sitter. Arthur had just ordered another round and moved to sit with the sous chefs. He had his arm around one of them, who was most certainly receptive and flirting back. Frank had disappeared and apparently was chatting up one of the bartenders. 

"Hey, I want to apologize for Arthur earlier. He's a bit pushy," Sidney said as she rejoined him.

Again, she blushed. “Oh, hey, it’s fine, I think I’m back up to 50 percent of my dignity, so no worries.”

He laughed. “Better than me. I may not recover mine for days.” He gave her a sheepish smile and looked at her for a moment more before dropping his gaze. She tried not to let that look set her off again, but his smile - that particular smile - was like petrol to a wildfire just barely contained.

For the next two hours, Sidney and Charlotte sat talking. He told her about Cameroon, and she told him about Antigua. The two experiences couldn’t have been more dissimilar. He spoke of the ravages of war, and trying to coordinate aid to tens of thousands of refugees, and she recounted her time with Georgiana at the Blue Avalon Resort.

The contrast between their experiences made her feel a bit ridiculous, but she had no reason to be ashamed of the work she’d done. Sidney listened to her stories of two young women realizing a vision, and was struck by the level of achievement he had assumed was the realm of corrupt, greedy caricatures of the business world. 

Charlotte had a feeling of being watched, but when she turned around, the room was so crowded, there could have been any number of people looking at her. As she scanned the room, finally she spotted a familiar blond head, who had turned away from her as she was glancing around.

She turned to Sidney, and asked in a low voice, “Is that Eliza in the corner with a brunette woman?”

Sidney looked in the direction Charlotte was gesturing, and then sighed. “It appears to be her.”

“Is she following you again?” Charlotte asked incredulously.

“It’s possible, but everyone comes here on the weekend. It’s pretty much the only place to go.”

“Do you recognize her friend?”

“I think that’s Zara. They’ve been friends for years, but I never really knew her.”

Charlotte furrowed her brow. “Zara. That’s one of other Evangelists from that newspaper photo.”

“What photo?” She took out her phone, and pulled up the photo Clara had sent of teenaged Eliza and Zara. Sidney grimaced.

“I’m getting a very negative image of this fandom,” Sidney remarked. Charlotte nodded.

“Yes, Evan had the worst fans.”

“Were you one?” Sidney looked at her with feigned suspicion.

“Oh no, I was too young during the height of his fame. I met him well after that."

He squinted at her. "I feel like you just called me old, but I'm not really sure."

Charlotte threw her head back and laughed, and Sidney delighted in seeing the dimples that only showed when she was smiling so broadly, and felt a degree of satisfaction that he hadn't seen her laugh like that with anyone else. In that moment, they were alone, wrapped up in each other's company without the influence of time or surroundings or the meddlings of well-meaning family and friends. 

It didn't go unnoticed by others, and even from across the room, Eliza looked on with a sinking feeling of envy and resentment. She had never seen Sidney like this, and it was one of the things that drove her away into the arms of Max. Sidney was grumpy and judgmental, and she wasn't even sure if she'd ever seen him laugh when they dated. She stared at them, blinking back anger and unconsciously tightening her jaw. She hated losing, especially on her own turf. 

"Z. Let's get Evan."


	15. Chapter 15

“Ten more!”

Evan huffed, grunted and squatted ten more reps as his trainer clapped slowly.

“Good job, pussy. Now you’re going to give me another minute of burpees.”

“Oh piss off. I’m not fucking doing that,” he said huffing.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Evan, do you need to rest your vagina? Fucking give me burpees, asshole!”

Evan grumbled, did about 12 burpees and collapsed. The trainer looked disgusted and shook her head.

“Ok, Evan, you’re good for today. Stretch out.”

“You're evil, Kat, I can’t believe I pay you for this torture” he said through labored breathing.

“You pay me because I get results. You want to be the one guy in a superhero movie who doesn’t have abs?”

“You know I’m not the superhero, right? I’m just one of the side characters,” he rolled over. “Plus, I have one ab, that should count.”

“Don’t be modest, Evan. We got you down to 15% body fat. The six pack is coming along nicely."

He stood up, lifted his shirt, and looked in the mirror. “You think so? I haven’t had a six pack since I was 18!”

“Yes, _I_ made those abs, and don’t you forget it. You can’t be my client and look like shit. It’s bad for my reputation,” Kat said. “Now get on your back and stretch out those hamstrings.” He complied, and she forced Evan’s leg into the air.

“Ow ow ow,” he whined. His phone buzzed.

“Oh look, it’s my publicist, gotta go!” he said loudly, jumped up and ran off around the corner of the gym.

“Tomorrow at 8, Evan! No sleeping in!” Kat called out after him. He gave her the finger from the behind the safety of the wall.

“Jane,” he answered.

“Hi Evan, how’s the glow up?”

“Oh, just fantastic. I love green cleanses and five hours of workouts a day.”

“Well, you’ve got many years of boozing to compensate for.”

“Jane, I just got my ass kicked by Kat, and I’m in no mood for further abuse, thank you. Is there anything you wanted to tell me?”

“Evan, be free this weekend and next. I’m trying to get you in to more events to boost your visibility ahead of the movie. You’re going to need to clear your schedule for a few weeks.”

“Will there be swag?”

“Some.”

“I’m in.”

“Of course, you’re in. You have a career to rebuild.”

“So everyone keeps reminding me.”

“I’ll send you the schedule later today.”

“I’m breathless with anticipation.”

Evan headed to the lockers, and stopped in front of the mirror, taking off his shirt to assess the improvements. Oh, hey, there IS a six pack, in a certain light. He took a selfie in the mirror. That was going to a few women in a moment, after he added some filters and adjustments in Lightroom. Probably posting that one on social. The shirtless ones always pulled in the thirst tweets, and an onslaught of texts asking for dick pics.

Thank god he could be back on social media. The rehab facility was dictatorial about cell phones. He lasted 3 weeks before checking himself out of that prison. That was 3 weeks longer than he’d lasted at any previous rehab facility. His publicist spun a public story that he was being treated for exhaustion, but it was alcohol and everyone knew it. He was fired from the last three movies for showing up drunk on set. None of his family would talk to him. His agent ditched him. Even his bloody housekeeper ditched him.

And as his closest allies disappeared, sketchy opportunists stepped into their void. He knew they were probably the ones to sell stories to the tabloids. He also knew they were his enablers. They knew exactly what to do and say to stroke his ego and make him feel like the star he used to be. God, they were great.

After leaving the gym, his next meeting was with his sobriety companion, mandated by the studio. He hated to be babysat like this, and were it not for the director’s insistence, he was ready to pay off the woman to stay away. Instead, he had to meet publicly with her at a Costa Coffee near his home.

“Diana, darling.” Diana was already seated, waiting for him. She was a good listener, an acceptable sober coach, and a massive pain in the ass.

“Evan, how was the gym?” she asked.

“Same. So what are we talking about today?”

“Step 8.”

He winced. The list. _‘Step 8: Make a list of people you’ve hurt and be willing to make amends to them all.’_

“Have you made the list?” she probed.

“I’ve got an idea of who should be on it, yes.” Evan found sobriety boring, and he wasn’t a believer in the 12 step program. AA was too culty for his liking. 

“Evan, step 8 is a great way to rebuild some of the bridges you’ve burned. It’s critical for healing.”

“Oh, I’m healing. I mean, really, Diana, the list isn’t that long. We could do this right now.”

“I think you’re missing the point, Evan. _I_ don’t need to do this. But you do. It will help you see the widespread impact of your behavior and how much you’ve hurt people over the years.”

“Why are all the women in my life trying to beat me up today?” Evan rolled his eyes.

“Once you see how wide your footprint is, you will be completely blown away at the love that comes rushing back into your life once you do.”

He grimaced. “Oh, I don't like to rush things.”

“Evan, why don’t we start with the first people you can think of.”

He sighed, and drank his coffee. “My family.”

“Go on.”

“Is this really necessary? I’ll make the list tonight. I promise.”

“Just give me the easy ones.”

“My old band mates.”

“Good. And will you think about how you’d like to make amends?"

“Sure. I think about that all the time.”

Diana looked at him, unbelieving. “Right, well, maybe soon you’ll have a legitimate list of people, and sincere means to make amends.”

“Tonight, I swear.”

She sighed. “I’m telling you, Evan, forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you can receive, but also one of the most important things you need to do for yourself.”

He looked into his coffee, and then closed his eyes. Unbeknownst to Diana, her words awoke a memory he wasn’t happy to recollect.

He thought of that moment several years ago, when he had returned to the flat he shared with Charlotte after a two day bender with Georgia, Charlotte’s maid-of-honor at their hastily planned wedding. He wasn’t really sure how he was going to explain things to his wife, but he figured he had about two weeks grace period since she was busy prepping for Fashion Week and then all of the following week would be filled with rehearsals, shows, parties, and after-parties.

Charlotte was everyone’s favorite flavor of the month, and the two of them were invited everywhere. At some point, the paparazzi started being more interested in her than in him, especially at the fashion industry events. It was harder and harder for him to keep up, no longer being an active musician or actor, and she was now the one everyone wanted at their parties.

She was a star and exuded star quality, and he ate that shit up. For the first time in any of his adult relationships, he felt like he was with someone his equal. The first time a photographer asked him to step aside so they could take pictures of just Charlotte, he laughed, but inside, he was stunned. He felt useless, and a little bit impotent. That was probably when he first snuck off with Georgia, after some designer’s rooftop party, and left Charlotte to return home by herself. She went nuclear when he finally returned, so this time, he was smart and timed it before London Fashion Week, when he knew she’d be consumed every day with activities. It would also take some heat off Georgia, since she would be modeling in the shows Charlotte was working on, and would draw less suspicion. 

So imagine his panicked surprise, when he walked in to the flat, and ran into his wife, packing up her books, clothes, and other extraneous belongings. It looked like much of her stuff was already gone.

“Babe, what are you doing?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?”

“No, no, no, you can’t do this right now. Shouldn't you be at rehearsals, or something?” he asked.

"Yes, actually. I have a lot of things I _should_ be doing that I'm not, because my husband decided to wreck our marriage."

"Don't do this right now, please?" he pleaded. He was far too hungover for this conversation, and he could smell himself, for crying out loud. He was a mess, and she was clearly sacrificing her job to move out in the middle of the day.

“Looks like I am doing this right now.”

“Please. Please! Charlotte…” he tried to step in between her and her boxes, but she just moved to a different part of the flat. “What’s going on? What is the urgency here?”

“Oh, is it ‘Charlotte’ now? You certain you got the right name this time?” She was trembling with fury. “Did you seriously think I would stay with you after this? You’ve been gone for three days! And I'm getting those creepy pictures again.”

“Was it three? I thought it was just two…”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Evan! There are pictures of you and fucking Georgia all over the tabloids! What the fuck did you think would happen?!”

“Look, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have left me alone. I was drunk! I was high! She was the one who gave me the shit!”

“Yeah, I’m leaving her too, but that’s much less involved than leaving you.”

“No, Charlotte! Come on, you’re my wife! She’s nothing!”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Don’t do this, babe. We can get past this.”

“But the thing is, Evan, I don’t want to.” She grabbed the boxes, and carried them to the entrance.

“Charlotte, please. I need help. You’re my wife. Don’t you have anything in your heart to help me?”

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him, incredulously. “Help you? I am helping you, Evan. I’m helping you realize you need someone else. I can’t be here any more and let you do this to me.”

“Babe, you are the only one who’s ever helped.”

“Then you’ll have to trust me, Evan, and know that I’m still helping.” Her voice was shaking, and tears were streaming down her face. “You need a lot of work, and I can’t do that any more. I was not meant to be your wife. This marriage was never meant to be - it was a huge mistake.”

He knew he had fucked up by cheating on her, but he loved her, and of all his relationships, she was the one that made him feel worthy. He choked back tears at Charlotte’s words that their marriage was a mistake. That meant he was a mistake.

“Please…” he was distraught. “Please, Charlotte, forgive me!”

“Forgive you?” She looked at him, with disgust and bewilderment. “Evan, forgiveness is what you need to do for yourself.”

“Charlotte,” he breathed into his cup.

“What?” Diana responded.

Evan opened his eyes, his expression suddenly resigned. “I’ll make the list.”

Diana recognized the worthless promises of an addict.


	16. Chapter 16

There were probably five shopping carts of shoes, graphic tees, international snacks and makeup ready to be checked out on Charlotte's laptop. She kept toggling between YouTube videos and Netflix, and finally settled on an episode of Blue Planet to unwind. Agitated, yep. Frustrated, yep. Lonely, hm. That was a new one. She never really felt _lonely_ even though she was alone a lot.

At the end of their night of long conversation at the pub, neither Charlotte nor Sidney noticed that Will and Esther had left, or that Arthur and the rest of the resort team were also gone. Sidney walked Charlotte to her car, and while he lingered for a moment, she stood there, stupidly trying to be alluring and sexy. The timing unfortunately coincided with others leaving the pub, and when she looked back, Charlotte thought she saw Zara and Eliza in the crowd, peering in their direction. Nothing like the presence of a stalker ex to totally ruin a girl's game. 

They said good night, and Sidney texted her to ensure she made it to her room without incident. Unfortunately, yes.

Charlotte hardly saw Esther for the rest of her visit, but even if Esther hadn't been off at Will's, Charlotte was working. Sidney's suggestions about the uniforms spurred an extensive and obsessive diversion that spawned a string of new concepts and ideas for Charlotte. What began as curiosity into how clothes could be donated morphed into hours of research and learning about fast fashion and responsible sourcing. She talked to her designer friends about how the new uniforms could be more eco-conscious and reached out to sustainable fashion brands about options for partnership. Before she realized it, half the weekend was gone.

Oh yeah, and there was no word from Sidney. 

* * *

Crowe: _I'm hurt. You both left me behind._

Babbers: _You were there?_

Crowe: 😒 _As it turned out, yes, other people were at the pub besides you and Esther._

Sidney: _But she was the only who came from London specifically to see Babbers, Crowe. So that automatically makes everyone else invisible_

Crowe: _Sounds like Babbers has some special moves he's not telling us, Sid_

Babbers: _Some things you're just born with_ 🦍

Sidney: _Mazel tov, mate_

Crowe: _And mazel tov to Esther_

Babbers: _So Sidney, still waiting for the end of Charlotte's gig before making a move?_

Sidney: _There have been some outside interferences_

Babbers: _Eliza again?_

Sidney: _Yes_

Babbers: _What is her hold on you, man? I mean, she's like candy floss - looks good, but devoid of taste and utterly disgusting_

Sidney: _She has no hold on me, but she keeps stalking Charlotte_

Crowe: _Christ, get rid of that baggage right away_

Sidney: 

Crowe: _Work faster, man. Out-of-town flings only work when someone's actually out of town. Once she goes back to London, she'll be gone_

Sidney didn't think Charlotte was much like Clara despite being friends, but he kept that to himself.

Babbers: _So you seeing Charlotte this weekend?_

Sidney: _Not sure. Didn't ask_

Babbers: _Well, I happen to know Esther's not with her_

Crowe: _Glad to know someone's having a good weekend_

Babbers: _Everyone can still have a good weekend_

* * *

In the morning, Charlotte rose early for a run on the beach. It was still mostly dark, and the temperature was colder than she anticipated. As her feet pounded the rocks and sand, the rhythmic crunching noise created a hypnotic backdrop as she planned out her week.

There wouldn’t be much time to wrap up the work in Sanditon before she’d have to be back in London. According to her original schedule, her last day on site would be Friday. It was probably a good thing nothing more had happened between her and Sidney, which meant leaving would be a lot easier, and there would be nothing to regret or miss once she was back in London. 

Eh, who was she kidding? She wished things had gone differently and felt like an ass for messing it up. She had wanted Clara to be right, that something would manifest out of the long conversation they had at the pub. But the conversation never turned toward what things might be like after she completed her work at Sanditon. And too scared to get her hopes up and dashed again, she didn’t ask.

As much as she wanted things to happen after the assignment was done, she knew it was just a fantasy. Life had a way of refocusing on the short-term and putting off the long-term - sometimes forever. If Sidney didn’t want anything to happen now, he certainly wouldn’t want anything to happen when things would be logistically harder.

She powered through the last part of her run, channeling those feelings into a final sprint uphill toward exhaustion. Reaching the top, she bent over, panting and grimacing until she finally caught her breath enough to look up. It was a stunning vista, overlooking the sea, the little town and the resort.

“Nice view, isn’t it?”

“Gah!” She jumped back and clutched her already tightened chest. “You keep doing that!”

Sidney grinned, clearly delighted at his surprise. “I’m sorry, were you following me again?”

“If I say yes, will you stop jumping out and scaring me?”

“Only if you let me know when you’re running in the mornings, so I can come with you. It can be pretty dark at this hour.”

“And apparently there are men lurking on clifftops,” she looked at him. “What are you doing out here this early?”

“I like these moments of transition, when the sun rises or sets. It’s calming, and inspiring. It’s when I do my best thinking.”

“I can see why,” she looked out over the coast and observed the glint of the sun now beginning to hit the water, creating a blanket of sparkling light. Faint sounds of sea birds floated over them, and she breathed in the salty briny scent of the beach mixed with the morning scent of dew on the grass. The grip on her chest eased as she exhaled.

"And did you solve anything with your thinking today?"

"Maybe," he said cryptically.

There was a long stretch of silence, and she stared at the sky glowing pink and yellow in the distance. The sunrise _was_ inspiring. Charlotte decided to take a shot. 

“This is something I will miss in London." Was that obvious? Yeah, pretty obvious.

He did not take the bait. She took his silence to mean he must have realized the futility of pursuing anything after the working assignment concluded. She fixed her gaze on the ocean in the distance, unwilling to face him and reveal her feelings. Bloody emotions, they ruin everything.

The path ended at the overlook, but there was a rocky section overgrown with long grass that led further along the clifftops. “So where do you usually go from here?” she asked, still looking out at the sea.

“Sometimes I head back, but I prefer to go on. The trail is harder but there’s a gorgeous vantage point that few people get to experience.”

“I don’t know if I have enough time or energy to go down that route.”

“No? It really is stunning - I promise you won’t be disappointed," he said with encouragement. “Let me show you.”

She turned to answer at him, and found him gazing down at her with a slight smile. Fuck, what were they talking about again?

“Oh, I’d probably just fall and hurt myself.”

“It’s possible, but you could do that just going back too.” He walked ahead, found a sturdy rock to stand on, turned and held his hand out. “Come on. I won’t let you fall.” Too late.

She paused, and looked up at him, and took a leap of faith. She took his hand, and navigated carefully among the slippery rocks. He firmly gripped her and let her set the pace to gain confidence on the uneven terrain. After scrambling like this for nearly a half hour, they reached a large flat rock that Charlotte never would have guessed lay hidden among the grass. It was at the very edge of the cliff, and formed a dramatic precipice overlooking the beach.

She was sweating and breathless from the exertion and her legs were wobbly. She realized she had been so fixated on her footing that she hadn’t looked up until they stopped. She caught her breath and her eyes widened at the expanse of sea and sky around her, as if they were perched in the palm of a giant. Sidney was still grasping her hand firmly, and steadying her as she stabilized.

“Look, Charlotte,” he said in low voice. She heard a rush above her and gasped as a flock of birds flew over them, silhouetted against the glow of the morning sky.

“A murmuration of starlings,” she whispered in delight. She felt her eyes sting as she remembered the last time she saw starlings with her father - the last time she shared a moment like that with him, or maybe with anyone. The accident was only a few days after that trip, and after her father died, her mother fell into a deep depression, culminating in her diagnosis a few months later. No, there definitely were no awe-inspiring moments shared with anyone after that day of birding. Not with her parents, and definitely not with Evan. Any shared moments with him were mostly _Evan's_ moments for which she was present. Now was not a good time to get nostalgic or emotional - not in front of Sidney. 

“I’d forgotten that’s what the collective noun was for starlings,” he said softly.

The birds hovered in the air forming a pulsating cloud, and then flew off along the treeline. 

“I used to go birding with my father when I was a kid,” she said. “I miss that.” _Stop that,_ she told herself. _You're only feeling this way because you're physically exhausted and you can't fight it right now. Don't be weak._

Sidney had been right that the vantage point was stunning. From this spot, she could see a small stream trickling down the cliff to the water, and for 180 degrees around her, there was nothing but ocean view. The drop down from the rock, however, was dizzying, and she had to take a seat before she lost her footing. Realizing she was still holding his hand, she released it self-consciously. 

“Was it worth the trek?” he asked.

“It’s breathtaking,” she exhaled. “Like we’re floating above everything.”

She closed her eyes to test if she could commit the moment to her memory, but what was it that was remarkable about the moment? The view? Or the fact that she wanted more than anything to feel closer to him? She opened her eyes, and the sensation of floating returned, but this time, she flinched. “I guess I’m more afraid of heights than I realized.” 

“You’re safe here,” he reassured and sat down beside her, giving her a slight smile. So much for not feeling weak.

She looked away quickly. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t give me that smile, Sidney. I get in trouble when you smile like that, and then I get scolded for getting carried away.”

“Scolded?” he looked at her puzzled. “Are you referring to when I said I wanted to be careful with you?”

“Yes.”

He laughed. “And you thought that was me scolding you?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “Not exactly, but I felt embarrassed nonetheless.”

“That was definitely not a scolding.”

“Ok, maybe not,” she looked up at him. He was still giving her that smirk. “But I can’t help my reactions and _that look_ , Sidney, is as dizzying as this view down.”

He let his smile drop, but his eyes still gazed intently at her. 

“No, no, that is just as bad, maybe worse,” she said, shaking her head. 

“I was trying to be serious! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he replied, laughing.

“I don’t believe that at all. You know exactly what you’re doing, and it isn’t kind.” She wasn’t laughing, and her last words were accusatory.

He sat back, stunned. It had not occurred to him that he was being unkind to her, and he had no words to answer.

“Please,” she looked directly at him, her eyes betraying the emotion stewing inside. “Don’t toy with me, Sidney. I can’t take that.” She felt her eyes welling up, and she stood before he could notice. She turned and started back for the trail. 

“Charlotte.”

Her legs were shaky and her vision was blurred from the tears. She needed to get away quickly before she started ugly crying in front of him. “I have to get back.”

“Charlotte, wait.” She was stepping clumsily, and he grabbed her arm as she landed a foot unsteadily on a rock. “Can’t you just enjoy the moment here with me?”

She turned frustrated, and blurted “I’m not having an easy time with this, you know.”

“It doesn’t have to be scary.”

”I’m not talking about the height of the cliff.”

”Me neither. Enjoying the present doesn’t have to be fraught.”

“But it is," she sighed, and looked away. "I’ve been hurt pretty badly before, and I can feel myself wanting to be close to you. And honestly, I’m afraid you’ll just pull away again.” She pulled herself free and began walking.

“Hey, wait…” he said and reached out again.

“What is it you want from me?” Her tears were now real, and she couldn’t hide them as they fell.

He looked at her, flustered and gaping in surprise. _He_ had done this? He had hurt the London It-Girl? Wasn’t she the one who was supposed to chew him up? Or was that just an idea planted by someone?

“Charlotte, I think I want a lot of things from you,” he responded, saddened he had hurt her, yet also moved by her unmasked emotion. “But right now, I want your forgiveness.”

She blinked in confusion. “Forgiveness?”

“I didn’t realize I was hurting you, and I never had any intention of ‘toying’ with you. I thought I was being cautious, because I didn’t want things to go the way every other relationship has gone for me. But I haven’t been fair or honest about how I really feel and now I see that has been much more damaging.”

Charlotte wiped the tears away and asked, “And how do you really feel?”

“Like there’s a lot I want to share with you.”

She paused, and thought for a moment before saying anything regrettable. “Being here now with you, it made me want something I was scared I couldn’t have.”

He stepped toward her, wrapped his arms around her, let her rest her head against him and absorbed her tears. “We can have everything we want.”

She stood there, buried her face in his chest and sighed. This was certainly unplanned, and she was mortified that he was holding her in her sweaty post-run state. 

"I'm so grubby, Sidney."

He laughed. "I am too."

He tightened his embrace, and she curled in closer.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm ok."

"Do you forgive me? Hurting you was the last thing I ever want to."

"I forgive you. How could I not?"

He bent down, tilted her chin up and softly kissed her. Not the passionate, desperate kiss from before, but one that conveyed tenderness, assurance, warmth. He felt her tension ease for a moment.

When they parted, she looked down again. "I leave for London on Friday."

"I know."

"Are you going to come visit me?"

"Are you inviting me?"

"Yes."

He smiled at her. "Then I will."

She turned her head to rest on his chest and could hear his heart beating. Wanting something and having something were so significantly different, and whatever just happened was deeply unfamiliar to Charlotte. 


	17. Chapter 17

Whatever plans Charlotte and Sidney had for the rest of the day were thoroughly abandoned.

After their rocky beginning, the rest of the morning was fortunately much calmer. Without the inhibitions brought on by insecurities or the pretext of propriety, they fell into a conversation in between moments of touching, kissing, holding one another that fortunately was not witnessed by others who would surely have found it embarrassingly gross.

Finally giving in to hunger and a desperate need for caffeine, they returned to the resort. Both of them were sandy, windswept and looking pretty disheveled. Charlotte’s hair was blown into a frizzy mess and nothing like her usual beachy curls (ironic that beach weather does not actually create beachy waves in hair). And no sooner had they sat down for coffee, than there was a familiar bellowing.

“Hellooooo favourites!” Of course it was Arthur. He took one look at them and nearly pissed himself in glee.

“Well, you two look like you’ve had an adventure!” he giggled. “Didn’t expect to see you here this morning. Oh wait, I meant I TOTALLY expected see you here this morning!”

“Arthur, please.” Sidney shot him a pleading look. “Let’s try to keep a low profile for moment.”

Charlotte laughed. “Arthur, won’t you join us?”

“Oh, no, Charlotte, I have my own Sunday morning rituals, but you two should have some mimosas,” he said scurrying away. “And don’t forget the sausage rolls and the hot cherry tart!” he called out over his shoulder as he left, snickering to himself.

They took part of his advice, ordered mimosas and some brunch fare, and then after a few drinks, Charlotte felt all inhibitions fall away.

“So explain something to me please. Why is Arthur trying to get us together?” Charlotte asked.

Sidney looked a bit sheepish. “To be honest, it’s not just Arthur. All my family seems keen on it, I suppose. Will and Frank too.”

“Really? Why? I mean, I’m flattered but it can’t just be because of me?”

“Well, it must have a lot to do with you. They haven’t given me this much trouble about anyone else.” He thought for a moment and continued. “I guess they might be concerned I will take off for another international job.”

“Aww, they must really have missed you. That is quite sweet.” She tried to remember the last time she heard from her own brothers - probably when she first moved back to London.

“Maybe, but I think it’s more that they need me to keep the books balanced,” he said with a self-deprecating expression.

Charlotte’s phone buzzed.

Evan: _Hi Charlotte_

Oh hell, no. There was no way Evan was going to ruin this day. She turned her phone off.

She felt a little light-headed and knew her complexion was probably flushed - a terrible combination with her already sweaty, gritty skin. “Sidney, I think I had too many mimosas after such an intensive workout. Champagne always does this to me, I should have tempered myself.”

“Do you want me to take you back to your room?” he gave her that slight smirk.

Yes. As a matter of fact, she did.

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.”

Charlotte had forgotten she left her laptop on, and it had cycled all through Blue Planet and moved on to another series entirely.

_“The hedgehog is still very much a creature of the night, but it is vulnerable to attack from foxes and other predators. To protect itself, its hairs have become a cloak of prickles.”_

“Can you really blame the poor thing,” Charlotte muttered to herself.

“Sorry?”

“Oh, nothing. Sometimes I just add my own commentary to supplement David Attenborough's.”

He looked at the video playing. “Oh, ’Life of Mammals.’ I haven’t seen this one in ages.”

The aged naturalist then appeared on screen, evidently standing in the garden of his own home at night, explaining the behavior of a large rotund hedgehog in the foreground.

“London can’t be all that bad if Sir David has home there,” Charlotte said.

Sidney pulled her toward him, and wrapped his arm about her waist. “You know, I’m not anti-London.”

“You’re not?” she looked at him quizzically. “I’m glad to hear that, since that’s the only home I have.”

“Maybe you can show me the parts that you like about it.”

“There’ll be a lot more to like when you come to visit.” She felt herself getting ahead of herself. She turned to assess the state of her room.

And as it was the last time Sidney happened upon her room, her little lacy panties and bras were sitting here and there, innocently cast aside, but triggering an uncontrollable reaction in Sidney’s mind.

“Oh my god, look at my hair! I had no idea I was this frightful! No wonder Arthur couldn’t stop laughing.” She stood amused at herself in the mirror.

“Sorry, wasn’t really looking at your hair.” he mumbled.

She looked over at Sidney, who looked up from glancing at her things, eyebrow raised and smiling slightly.

“Something catch your eye?”

“Many things, apparently.” He stepped toward her. “So are these the types of things that you have been wearing to all our meetings, under your professional exterior?”

She gave him a sly look, and replied “Maybe. Or perhaps I didn’t wear them at all.”

 _“One thing is guaranteed to make a male hedgehog drop his guard. The promise of an amorous liaison.”_ On screen, two hedgehogs waddle about the garden in pursuit of one another. A surge of violins in the soundtrack accompanies the playful scene as one hedgehog chases the other about the grass.

Sidney had that look again - smouldering dark eyes, coy half smile, the one that both disarmed and dissolved her - and again, she felt the urge to fast forward to the action sequence. But she remembered this was no Tinder hookup, that she was really enjoying all her time with him, and that impatience was not a virtue. She paused and rubbed her lips together to hold back from saying all the questionable thoughts running through her head. Save those for later. 

That move seemed to have the opposite effect on Sidney. He was already losing his grip on decorum, and that lip thing she was doing was a bit too much. He kissed her, and this time it was demanding, insistent and focused, and she relented. The sensation combined with the intoxication of the alcohol essentially blew apart all pretense she had been holding on to that this was mildly seductive - it was fiery and she was completely engulfed. 

Charlotte pushed him back until he was seated at the edge of the bed, and she climbed on to his lap and rested her knees on either side of him. She could taste the saltiness of his lips, and felt his stubble scratching intensely on her skin. He wrapped one arm around her, cradling her back, while the other pressed back on to the bed to hold them both upright.

 _“The male noses the female’s spines which seem to excite her.”_ As the male catches the female, much snuffling ensues, as they tackle one another in an excited tussle.

Sidney buried his lips into her neck and in an instinctive reaction, she licked his ear. She was not aware how ticklish his ears were, but after he threw his head back and shot her a warning look accompanied with a growl, she couldn’t NOT lick his ears. Which was how she found herself reversed and pinned beneath him.

He grinned at her from his new position of advantage. “I’m sorry, the ears are extremely sensitive.”

She pulled him down on top of her, and asked “And what happens if I lick those extremely sensitive areas?”

He laughed and responded by licking her ears in reprisal, causing her to squeal and shudder. “I think you know what happens. But we can always try it on you first.”

Suddenly self-aware, she asked “Should we get in the shower?”

He breathed in deep into her hair. “I’ve been waiting to taste you,” he mumbled, “And I don’t want to be clean right now.”

_“Whether the female flattens her prickles to help the male is unclear. But it does seem that the old joke that asks how do hedgehogs mate was right all along. The answer is of course with great care.”_

* * *

When Charlotte awoke, the sun was much lower, and for a moment, she panicked, thinking she had overslept for something important. But she remembered where she was, her head clouded by an ache brought on from the champagne, and her heart beat faster. Was that a dream? If it was, she didn’t want to wake up because that was a phenomenal dream. But she could feel him, his warmth and, moreover, his presence, lying behind her, and now her mind was filled with heightened awareness.

She inhaled for four counts, held her breath and exhaled for four counts, willing her pulse down and trying not to spin up.

Ok, assessing the situation. She had wanted this - for some time now - and fuck yeah, it was worth the wait. Self-five!

Drink in all the glory. Take this moment to thank the Academy, the support of her dear friends and the sisterhood, everyone working behind the scenes to help make this moment…

“Are you awake?” God, his voice was amazing.

“Mhmm.” She inhaled dreamily. “Have you been awake this whole time?”

“No, I woke about ten minutes ago.” He moved his feet to intertwine with hers.

“Do you have to be somewhere?” she asked.

“No, and if I did, I don’t care.”

She rolled over on her back and looked at him. “Will you stay with me today?”

“Of course,” he replied. “But I desperately need a change of clothes and a shower.”

“You can wear something of mine,” she teased.

“Ok, but don’t be mad if I look better in your things than you do.”

She stretched and could feel her hair still stiff from the salty air and sweat of the day. “Ugh, I really need a bath. I feel like one of those jungle animals in the mud.”

“Do you really watch those documentaries all the time?”

“Almost every night. I love them. They calm me down and help me sleep. Except the ones about climate crisis. That stuff is too scary to fall asleep to.”

“You know, in a couple of weeks, Attenborough is giving a benefit lecture in London.”

She sat up straight. “Are you going? Can I go with you?” she asked excitedly.

He smiled, “You’re a big fan, aren’t you?”

“I told you! I’ve been a fan since I was a child. Were you planning on going?”

“I wasn’t sure, but I’m pretty sure now,” he laughed. “But only if you don’t embarrass me by fangirling too much.”

“I can’t promise that, but I’ll try not to scare you, or him. I may cry, though, just be aware.”

He narrowed his eyes in mock distrust. “Should I be jealous?”

“Uh, yes. Obviously.”

“Ok, well, while I have your attention today, why don’t I go home to clean up and change, and I’ll come back to pick you up and we can have dinner? But not here, if you don’t mind. I need to get away from this place, especially if Arthur is going to try to serve us something suggestive again.”

“I think that sounds perfect.”

She stepped out of the bath, and picked up her phone. For a moment, she thought about turning it on, but remembered she was avoiding Evan, so she kept it off. Instead, she took her time to dress, selecting something date-worthy but casual. She wasn't sure if she should wear makeup, and opted for a low key look. By the time he picked her up, she had changed her clothes three times, and restyled her hair. 

“So what exciting sites does Sanditon have that I haven’t seen yet?” Charlotte asked, as Sidney drove away from the resort.

“None really. Hope you don’t mind if we just go to a place up the road. It’s nothing special but I think we’ll have privacy.”

The area was more secluded and residential than she was expecting. In fact, once he parked, there were no businesses in sight, and Charlotte got out of the car, perplexed.

  
“Are we going to a private club?”

He laughed to himself. “In a manner of speaking, I guess.” He led her up the stairs of a duplex.

“It’s a private club for one. This is my flat,” he said, unlocking the door.

Charlotte was startled at the stark nature of the decor.

“You are quite the minimalist,” she marveled at the dramatic white room with dark furniture. There wasn’t much furniture, but Charlotte recognized the design from one of the show rooms she walked past in the design district in London. A few plants were positioned near the windows. There was a flat screen on the wall, but nearly all other surfaces were bare.

"I had to put away the garden gnomes," he said, teasingly, and she looked at him feeling ridiculous for having accused him of such cliché tackiness in light of the modern simplicity of his home.

“Sidney, I’m stunned at how little you have. It’s like Marie Kondo’s place right before an Interpol raid.”

“Who?

“Oh, nevermind. I forgot you don't watch reality tv.”

“I don’t collect a lot of things. I collect memories. It also makes it a lot easier to clean, when you don’t have a lot of stuff.”

“I should think so. May I look around?”

“There’s just the bedroom and the bath, but go ahead.”

“So here’s where all your stuff is,” she said turning the corner.

In the bedroom there was a wall of shelves, which seemed to be where he kept his personal items. Lots of books. Philosophy. Economics. Politics. There were also a few photos. Tom and Mary’s wedding, Sidney and the nieces and nephews, Sidney, the brothers and what must have been his parents at his graduation.

“Wow, Sidney. The poor girls at uni must have had hard time around you.”

He laughed. “I certainly don’t remember it that way.”

“Your parents look so kind. And you look just like your father.”

“They are kind, if a bit eccentric. I was hoping to visit them in the next few months, but I’m not sure when I would do that.”

She looked away. What she would give to be able to visit her parents. She changed the subject.

“So are we making dinner?”

“I am. I’m making us a pizza, if you don’t mind.”

“You mean from scratch?”

“Yes, I started the dough when I came back earlier.”

“So Arthur isn’t the only chef in the family. I’m impressed.”

“Oh it’s nothing like that, I just prefer to make it myself.”

Sidney must have been modest, because that pizza was bloody good. Of course, Charlotte was awash in endorphins, oxytocin and whatever other chemicals get released in the moments of emotional highs, so a sock dipped in ketchup would probably taste amazing to her in her state. Nutritionists say cheese also releases hormones in the body, so it’s possible the food was influencing Charlotte’s feelings too, but to the best of her recollection, she never developed feelings for anyone over a slice of Domino’s.

In fact, Sidney was rather proud of his creation. Normally cooking for one, his dinners mostly consisted of sandwiches, salads, and an occasional steak. This was a treat to be able to cook for someone, and he was pleased she seemed to actually like it.

They spent much of the time after dinner lounging on his sofa, finishing the wine they started with dinner, and talking. And talking. She told him about the devastating blows of the deaths of her parents in her teen years, of the epic fights she had with her brother and his wife when she lived with them, and how that profound unhappiness drove her to accelerate her studies so she could move out on her own.

He told her about the series of shallow relationships he had after university, most with women who couldn’t deal with his philosophizing and were looking for more of a good time. Eliza was no different, but he was sick of dating and stuck with her, even assuming they would wind up together for lack of better options in the small town. Still, when she cheated on him with that guy, he took it hard.

And he spoke of the one relationship he had in Cameroon, with a fellow aid worker. That was doomed as well given their divergent backgrounds, but they were forced to end things after another coworker complained, claiming favouritism. That explained his desire to keep things separated in the workplace.

The hours grew later, and Sidney put something on tv for Charlotte. She reclined on to his chest, and he held her as she fell asleep in his arms. She looked peaceful, and he felt happy - the nicest day either had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hedgehog excerpt from "Life of Mammals" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btY-3ED__Vo  
> 🦔🦔


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey phenomenal readers! As I mentioned previously in the notes on this page, I wasn't happy with my Sidlotte sexy times in Chapter 17, so I rewrote it - yes, the hedgehog scene. It's in line with what I had envisioned (playful) and hopefully different from other authors' takes on their first encounter. This is a work in progress, so I figure I can be somewhat unorthodox by getting feedback on the fly. 🤷 Please have a read, and let me know what you think!

He hadn’t meant to keep her there, but he couldn’t bring himself to wake her after she fell asleep on him. So he carried her to bed, and let her continue sleeping. He felt weird taking her clothes off while she was asleep, even though he basically ripped them off her earlier in the day, so he only removed her jumper and left her in her slip dress.

The concerns he had about being with Charlotte were still lingering. He felt hypocritical asking her to enjoy the moment, when he himself was concerned things would fall apart as soon as she returned to her own life. 

He told her about the woman he dated in Cameroon. Charlotte didn't seem concerned about being involved with him as a colleague, though she did agree the client part was iffy. What he didn't tell Charlotte was the woman he dated was his supervisor, or that she was forced out even after they ended things. He still felt guilty about that, even though he learned recently she had moved to a different MSF office in another country. He knew he was being paranoid, that their resort was nothing like a global NGO. But still, being beyond reproach was preferable to being within reproach. If anything did become a problem, he would remove himself to protect his family and to protect Charlotte. He could survive, if he knew he was doing the right thing. 

He lay down next to her, touched her hair and breathed in the enticing, soft scent of her, and drifted off. 

At some point in the night, he woke to her running her fingers along his chest.

Half asleep, he mumbled, “Forgive me, Charlotte. I didn’t want to wake you to take you back to the resort. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not sorry,” she said moving closer. Her body was bare, her skin smooth and warm, and he was suddenly awake.

Part of Charlotte felt like she was being too greedy, having too many helpings at the dessert table, but she rationalized, she’d been fasting. Once she realized she was in his bed, she couldn’t sleep and being next to him was too tempting. Evidently, he didn’t need much convincing because his response to her was instant and urgent.

In the morning as the light of dawn filled the room, he felt her stir and she rolled toward him, burying her face in chest and wrapping her arm around him.

An alarm sounded somewhere in the room. Charlotte groaned.

“Is this really the time you get up in the morning? It’s barely light out.”

“Yesterday at this time, I was on the beach, and so were you.”

“But I don’t think I slept as much last night as the night before.”

“Mm, I know I didn't," he stroked the back of her shoulder. "You’re making it very difficult to want to go for my morning run.”

“I’m trying to make it so you won’t want to go at all.”

“You’ve definitely achieved that." He smiled at her. "When do you need to be back at the resort?”

She frowned, checking her watch. “I’ll probably need to leave in an hour.”

Sidney also frowned, and replied “I should take you back earlier before too many staffers are around.”

“You don't need to take me. I could Uber back.”

“As if I’d let you do the walk of shame.”

“Um, I think you mean the stride of pride,” she said, offended.

He laughed. “Is that what you call it?”

“In this situation, yes.”

As Charlotte waited for Sidney to shower and dress for work, she found coffee, a Chemex, and a couple of travel mugs in his kitchen. Settling down with her cup, she reluctantly dug her phone out of her bag, forgetting that she hadn’t even checked it all night. And then she remembered why she had turned it off in the first place. She braced herself for the barrage of unwanted texts.

Evan  
Missed calls (2)

Yesterday  
11:17 AM  
Evan: _Charlotte, hello?_

Yesterday  
4:45 PM  
Evan: _C_ _an you please call me?_

Yesterday  
6:56 PM  
Esther: _C, you in the room? Is it safe for me to come get my bag?  
_ Esther: _Will is going to bring me by so I can get my stuff, and then I'm off for the train._ _If I don’t see you, hope you had a good weekend._ 😜

Oh shit, she totally forgot about Esther. In all fairness, Esther also totally forgot about Charlotte. She’d call her later.

Yesterday  
7:35 PM  
Esther: _Not going to lie, that room was the sexiest disaster I’ve ever seen. That couldn’t have just been your doing on your own_ 😜 _We are going to need to do a weekend post-mortem._ 🔥👏🏆

Yesterday  
10:34 PM  
Evan: _Don’t ignore me, please. I need to talk to you._

As she was going through all the texts, her phone buzzed. Fuck’s sake. What is the major emergency?

Evan: _Charlotte, trying to get in touch with you_

Charlotte: _What’s up_

Evan: _There you are_

Charlotte: _Is this about the stalking case?_

Evan: _No, not the stalking case. Look, Charlotte, there are some things I'd like to say. I want to apologize, and I'd rather do it face to face_

Charlotte: _Shit, Evan, what did you do now?_

Evan: _Nothing recent. This is about before_

Charlotte furrowed her brow in confusion. She had no desire to dredge up pain from years ago. What good would that do?

Charlotte: _I’m not in town. If it’s not urgent, you can have the lawyers talk. I don’t see a need to meet in person otherwise_

Evan: _Where are you? I can come to you._

Charlotte: _I’d really prefer not to meet. Sorry, Evan, I’m pretty busy so the best way is to have the lawyers talk._

Charlotte put him on mute. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. Mother. Fucker. The week was already going to be incredibly tight with all the appointments and she did not need this extra drama…

Sidney came out of the bathroom, still damp, and wearing a towel around his waist. Holy mother of god. She hopped up off her perch and followed him into the bedroom. 

“I don’t think I’m going to make it to my first meeting,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t think you are either.”

* * *

Wow, a lot of email piled up in a couple of hours. Her other clients were vying for her time again.

_Charlotte,  
_ _We are in the home stretch! As you know, the launch of the rebrand is on Saturday and as discussed, we’ll have you on stage with the executives…_

_Charlotte,  
_ _Attached is the final guest list for Saturday’s event. Please let us know if you’ll have any additional guests to add to the VIP list._

_Charlotte,  
_ _The video diary of the remodel of the bar was brilliant! We’re going to be featured on an interior makeover show. Can you be on site for the initial walkthrough?_

She wasn't lying to Evan when she said she was busy. She wanted to squeeze in as much as she could while she was in Sanditon so the Parkers wouldn't have to pay for another trip for her. The orchid wall installation was starting, and Charlotte wanted to meet with the contractors. In the following days, there would be lighting and staging changes to the lobby. And finally, in the latter part of the week, her designer friends would be doing a video conference to present the designs of the new uniforms. She hadn't shared the research she found with Sidney yet, but she was excited about her new ideas.

The day’s schedule was grueling, and were it not for the fact that most of the meetings were in the restaurant, Charlotte probably wouldn’t have had breakfast or lunch. By the end of the day, she was depleted, and retired to her room.

Charlotte: _Did you leave the resort already?_

Sidney: _On my way to class_

Charlotte: _Will you come back after class?_

Charlotte: 

Sidney: 😂 _Now I'm not sure I want to go to class at all_

Sidney: _You're not sick of me yet?_

Charlotte: _I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you_

Sidney: _Then I'll stop by in a couple of hours_

Charlotte: _Can’t wait_

* * *

“Well, look who showed up to class, Frank,” Will said with a smirk as Sidney approached. 

“Uh oh. Good news or bad news?” Frank raised an eyebrow.

“I happen to have good intel that a certain consultant was M.I.A. yesterday, allegedly being entertained by our dear friend here," Will answered.

“Interesting. Finally came to your senses, Sidney?” Frank mused.

Sidney looked down and laughed. “I guess I did.”

Frank and Will smiled and clapped him on the back. When Sidney wasn't looking, Will passed Frank a fifty.

“Glad to hear it. Took you long enough,” Will replied. “Esther was feeling a bit bad for abandoning Charlotte all weekend.”

“Oh, I’m sure you made up for it,” Sidney teased.

“Um… no one is asking about my weekend,” Frank rolled his eyes.

“And? How was it?” Will asked.

“Boring,” he answered with irritation. “So I apologize in advance, if I seem a bit, um, aggressive in class tonight.”

Sidney and Will shot each other a look, and then laughed. 

“Like that’s going to make a difference in your game!” Will teased.

* * *

Esther: _Well?_

Charlotte: 

Esther: 😲

Esther: _M_ _agic carpet ride and everything?_

Charlotte: 😎

Esther: 

Esther: _What was the tipping point?_

Charlotte: _Told him I couldn’t deal with being strung along_

Esther: _So you had an honest discussion?_

Charlotte: _Is that what that’s called? That can’t be how it works_

Esther: 🙄

Charlotte: _Since I didn’t see you at all after Friday night, I assume you and Will had a good time?_

Esther: _The best! OMG, I might be in love_

Charlotte: _I know!_

Esther: _What do you mean you know? Oh I'm in deep, aren’t I? Am I messing up?_

Charlotte: _I don't know, Will seems like a really good man. And it seems like he's really into you._

Esther: _A girl can hope_

Charlotte heard a knock on the door and smiled.

Charlotte: _Hey Esther, gotta go. I have a visitor_ 😜

She answered the door. Sidney was looking sweaty, rough and damn masculine. She pulled him in, shut off her phone, and for the rest of the night, she forgot about work, Esther and everything else.

* * *

Well fuck it. Evan had tried all day again to talk to Charlotte, who must have put him on ignore. Nothing in her social posts indicated where she was, and the lawyers were coming up with nothing. Obviously, he wasn't going to get a chance to apologize in person, so maybe she'd pay attention this way. He pulled up the draft text he'd been writing and rewriting for the past few days.

And... post.

**Evan Shay @evanshay**

_To my phenomenal fans, today, I must ask for your love and support although I am not entitled to either. I am reaching out to apologize to the family, friends and loved ones whom I have hurt over the years. I know I can never fully erase the things that have happened, but today, I commit to working to ensure they never happen again._

Let the chaos ensue.

**EVAN SHAY APOLOGIZES TO FRIENDS & FAMILY**

London, England - Former pop idol and actor Evan Shay today reached out to his Twitter fans in what appears to be a very public mea culpa to his “family, friends and loved ones whom [he] hurt.” 

The troubled celebrity was being treated at an undisclosed rehab facility last month, but apparently checked himself out after three weeks. He appears to be on the mend, prepping for an upcoming role in the new ‘Hell’s Angel: Final Glory’ film. He has been seen several days a week at a gym in Islington. 

When reached for comment, Shay’s publicist Jane Bennett did not specify who Shay was trying to apologize to, but the Twitterverse and the Evangelists, as his fans are known, have been speculating on whether he intends to reunite with ex-spouse Charlotte Heywood, who famously split from him after six weeks…

* * *

Evan's phone started blowing up minutes after he posted the tweet. Last he checked, his post had over 15 thousand likes, and was retweeted thousands of times. He gained another several hundred followers, and #EvanShay was trending. 

Diana: _I’m proud of you, Evan. You’re doing great work_

Evan: _Thanks, D. Tell the director._

Diana: _He’s the one who texted me about it_

Evan: _Oh really? I should have done this a lot sooner_

Evan’s phone rang. It was his publicist.

“Hello Jane.”

“Evan, nice move. Why didn’t you run it by me?”

“My twitter apology? Didn’t think it had anything to do with you. Making amends is part of my recovery as an alcoholic.”

“Oh, but it affects everything now. I can spin this whole apology thing into major headlines. I’m already getting calls from Hello! I think we can get a statement out by lunch. Oh, and some fitness magazine wants to interview your trainer and send a photog for one of your workout sessions.”

“Oh, god, are you kidding me? I am not ready for that. Let me at least get a couple more tanning sessions in.”

“You’re going to have to be ready, Evan. You put this whole thing in motion with that Tweet, but this is incredible visibility for you.” Jane was way too excited about this step in Evan’s recovery. “So is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“Are you getting back with Charlotte?”

“Uh… no comment?” he said, unclear why Jane would have any information about that.

“You are learning! Good! So remember, it doesn’t matter what the truth is. If anyone asks, that’s what you say.”

“Jane, I haven’t even talked to her yet. Wait, how do you even know I’ve been trying to…”

“Don’t be an idiot, Evan. Everyone’s speculating. Twitter is awash with rumours - which I may or may not have planted - and we’ll let those sit for a few days, see what happens.”

“Jane, you’re terrible. This is going to send the stalkers into overdrive!”

“Wait, you didn’t tell me you have a stalker! Oh my god, this is brilliant!”

He paused, and then whispered delightedly, “Isn’t it, though?”

“Ok, ok, ok. First things first. Your schedule for this weekend. There’s a launch party for one of Charlotte’s clients. I got you on the guest list. I’m going to call the paps to tell them you’re going to be there and that you may or may not be attending with Charlotte.”

“Jane, that’s the stupidest line I’ve ever heard. _Anyone_ ‘may or may not’ be attending with Charlotte.”

“Exactly! It’s always true, so it’s never a lie!”

“Jane. I’m an addict, and even _I_ think that’s sleazy. But I guess that’s why you get paid.”

“Contact your stylist. You need to look good at this event, ok?”

“My ‘stylist?’” He made a face. “You mean, me? I’m my own stylist.”

“Oh for god’s sake, that explains a lot. I’ll send over Jewel and Bunny Beaufort to get you ready.”

“Their names are seriously Jewel and Bunny?”

“Is your name seriously Evan Shay?”

“Fair enough. I await the Beauforts’ call. Wait, they’re sisters, right? Are they single?”

“Keep it together, Evan.”

"Oh I'm doing just great."

* * *

Evan couldn't keep up with all the tweets in response to his post. His feed was flooded with fangirl adulation.

_#EvanShay could hurt me over and over and I'd be just fine with it_

_Evan, we_ ❤ _U! U R always amazing! U deserve everything, including Charlotte! #EvanShay #SaveEvanShay #ShipShaywood_

_Heard Evan Shay was seen with Charlotte in Islington! #EvanShay #ShipShaywood_

_Charlotte still holds a torch for Evan, otherwise she wouldn't be single #EvanShay #ShipShaywood_

Wait, why were there so much feedback about Charlotte? He didn't think fans would want them to reunite this much. He kept reading, and found a few that were definitely not Team Charlotte - not that there was an alternative.

_Stay the fuck away from Evan, @CharlotteHeywood! The Evangelists will come for you #EvanShay #shitgirl #whorewood_

_Don't do it, Evan! Fuck Charlotte! #EvanShay #NeverCharlotte_

In his direct messages, he also had numerous messages of support, a few offers of nude pics, and one rather peculiar message.

_Evan, my friend and I have been your biggest fans for years! Come visit us in Sanditon, and we promise you'll have a mind-blowing time! Oh, we also know where Charlotte Heywood is, and it isn't in London. DM me @zaraaamichaels_


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey phenomenal readers! As I mentioned in the previous notes, I wasn't happy with my Sidlotte sexy times in Chapter 17, so I rewrote it - yes, the hedgehog scene. It's in line with what I had envisioned (playful) and hopefully different from other authors' takes on their first encounter. This is a work in progress, so I figure I can be somewhat unorthodox by getting feedback on the fly. 🤷 Please have a read, and let me know what you think!

The shit really hit the fan overnight, and Charlotte only got wind of the disaster in the morning when she turned her phone back on.

After piecing together what happened, and reading Evan’s tweet, she tried to panic quietly so as not to wake Sidney. She gathered herself and called her lawyer from the bathroom.

“Hello Alison.”

“Charlotte, you got my messages.”

“I saw you called, but I had about 20 other messages. I assume it’s about Evan’s tweet.”

“Were you aware he was going to send that?”

“Not at all.”

“Apparently #Shaywood is trending. And there is a lot of chatter about you and Evan getting back together.”

“There could be nothing further from the truth. I haven’t seen him in at least two years. We text, but usually about the legal stuff," she looked at her reflection in the mirror and wiped her eyes. "Alison, we have to contain this. I have something going on with someone I really like, and I can’t afford to fuck that up.”

“Ok, well I can’t help you with the latter, but with the former, we can send him a cease and desist letter. The problem is that he’s not the one causing problems, it’s the people on Twitter that are talking about it, and there’s not much we can do legally about that. We should issue a statement soon, though, to help get this Twitter fire under control.”

“Yes, send it as soon as it’s ready please. I’ve got to call the detectives now.”

“Right. Check your email in half an hour.”

Charlotte spoke with the detectives next, and she learned among the Twitter chatter, there were a few legitimate threats lurking among all the Shaywood posts. There weren't many, and Detectives Beecroft and Howard didn't go into the details, but since Charlotte and Evan were already flagged as possible targets, the detectives picked up on it pretty easily. Their recommendation was to leave her account open, and see if additional posts or messages would come through to reveal any more developed plots. Additionally, they were monitoring her flat, in case there was any suspicious activity. Her building security reported they hadn’t noticed anything unusual thus far.

They also noted that while messages directed at Evan were more likely from obsessive fans, those directed at Charlotte were much more extreme (both positive and negative), and that was concerning enough for them to advise her to make some adjustments.

“We recommend you vary your routine and avoid spending too much time at home,” said Detective Howard.

“Well, fortunately, I’m out of town on business, but I’ll need to be back in London by Saturday,” she replied.

“In that case, I suggest you take full precautions. If you have security, use them. Don’t walk on the streets alone. Don’t travel alone. Avoid ordering food or anything for delivery.”

“Seriously?”

“Food delivery people have been known to keep phone numbers and addresses of famous targets,” Detective Beecroft answered.

“But you’re talking about people like Harry Styles, or the Kardashians, right?”

“Given that you and Evan are trending, I’d recommend being overly precautious.”

"I have a public event I need to attend on Saturday. I can't _not_ show up."

"Well then, bring a bodyguard." That wasn't very helpful. Even Evan didn't have personal security after he left the band. In fact, none of this was helpful. The detectives had been pretty indifferent for years.

Ugh, this was terrible timing. She had just gotten to the good part of her story with Sidney, and now he was going get scared off by all the drama. And of all things, this would only prove Sidney right about the superficiality of her life, that it could be ruined overnight by a bloody social media post.

She opened Twitter. As much as she knew what was likely in the depths of the Twitterverse, she couldn't help it. She searched for herself. She scrolled and scrolled, skimming the tweets, and rolling right past all the old pictures of her and Evan. There were Photoshopped pictures as well, to imply she and Evan had been together recently. After a few minutes of scrolling, she set the phone down, relieved. There was none of her and Sidney, apart from the one of his bottom at the flower show. 

She tried to sneak out of the bathroom quietly, and suddenly ran into Sidney’s torso. Abs. Trail to happiness. Hot.

“Oh, hi,” she stammered, not realizing he was up and probably heard both conversations.

“Good morning,” he said, eyes searching hers.

She inhaled deeply, remembering she was in the midst of a minor crisis, and tried to stop her eyes from wandering.

“Did you hear all that?”

“I did. Forgive me for eavesdropping.” He gave her a concerned look. “I also looked up Evan’s tweet. I’m not sure I understand what the big deal is.”

She sighed and put her hand over her face. “It wouldn’t be, to any normal person. But Evan, as you know, has some unhinged fans, and cyber bullying is real and it’s frightening.”

“Can’t you just delete your account?”

“I can, but that doesn’t mean the threats will stop.” She paused to gauge his reaction, and wondered if there was something apprehensive in his responses.

“Hey, it’s nothing. I’m ok,” she tried to sound normal.

“Is it? If it’s nothing, did you need to hide in the bathroom to have that discussion?” 

“I was trying to not wake you.” She assumed he didn’t really believe that. “I admit this probably makes me look bad. But I’ve been handling shit like this for years, and I don’t have any reason to think it can’t be handled now.”

“Is it because you didn’t want me to hear you say you had something going on with someone you really like?”

Fuck. She hesitated. “So you heard that, did you?" she exhaled. "I don’t know if I was ready to have you hear that.”

“So who were you talking about?”

This was the part that he was concerned with? 

“After everything that's happened in the past couple of days, you really think there might be someone I like _more_?" she asked. She reached up and stroked his ear. She moved closer and pressed herself against him.

"Sidney, there's a lot about being open that scares me. But if you still don't realize that I really like you, then I guess I haven't been fully honest. Of course it’s you.”

There was a look of relief on Sidney’s face, and he kissed her on the forehead.

“I’m so glad you said that, because I was starting to get a little jealous.”

Hot.

“Did you happen to hear what the detectives said?”

“Mostly.”

She was unsure if she should press him. “Any suggestions?”

“Well, you’re not staying here alone.”

"Go on... I like that idea so far," she replied. 

"You can stay with me, but that would mean you could be seen coming and going. If you're not comfortable with that, let me check your room before you come back in the evenings." 

“So you're not freaked out by all this?"

"Well, it's a bit weird," he said. "But it's nothing to be scared of. I mean, does the threat exist if you're not involved with Evan? It sounds like the trolls just want you to stay away, and you already are."

"That's true. But who knows which rumours people will believe." She felt a tightness in her belly. "Not sure what I'll do back in London. I’ll have to go back this weekend. I have a launch party I need to be at.”

He smirked at her. “A work party? Sounds tough.”

“Ok, before you lay into me about being a professional partier, this is the culmination of months of work. It’s a boutique hotel and it’s the debut of the new look of the hotel.”

“I’m teasing you, I know the work you do. I’ve seen what you’ve been doing here. It’s a lot. And frankly, I never knew there was so much to strategize.”

“Then you understand why I have to be there.” She smiled, mischievously. "Will you accompany me? The police say I need a bodyguard." Was she grinning? 

“To your party?”

“To the party and for the weekend. Yes.”

"As a bodyguard?" 

So hot.

"No, as my date."

"But if you are attacked, I'm allowed to strangle people?"

She laughed. "I'm not guaranteeing that you'll have that opportunity. And I'm not sure you're really 'allowed' to do that there or anywhere. But I would like to have you - for your company."

Sidney's insides clenched. This was not going to be fun for him. Charlotte would be in her natural habitat, and he was certain that crowd was going to be filled with people he’d have no desire to talk to. And as Babbers and Crowe had told him many times, he is no good at parties.

“Sure.” 

* * *

Charlotte: _Did you see Evan's tweet?_

Esther: _I saw. He's full of shit._

Charlotte: _That was my reaction too._

Esther: _This is why no one in the family will talk to him. Because of publicity stunts like this._

Charlotte: _Are you ok?_

Esther: _Oh, I'm fine. As you know, I never had much of a relationship with him. I feel bad for my stepdad though. He's a decent guy, and he's the one who suffered the most from Evan._

Charlotte: _Have you talked to your parents?_

Esther: _Not yet. They haven't talked to him at all since he changed his name, so I doubt they've talked to him about this so-called apology._

Evan had his name legally changed well before he met Charlotte, and it was huge publicity event at the time.

Charlotte: _He tried calling me. He wants to meet, but there is no way._

Esther: _Don't. He can't be trusted._

Esther: _Does Sidney know what's going on?_

Charlotte: _Yeah, I told him already_

Esther: _Did he get weird about it?_

Charlotte: _Surprisingly, no_

Esther: _Good man_

Charlotte: _Really good man_ 😍

* * *

Charlotte: _Evan, I saw the post, and I’m assuming you were trying to contact me to give me advanced warning._

Evan: _Yes, love, I didn’t want you to be blindsided, but I do still want to talk in person._

Charlotte: _Let’s not do that._

Charlotte: _I wanted to let you know, I’m about to post a response. Don’t worry, it’s supportive._

Evan: _You are still my rock, Charlotte._

Charlotte: _No, but that doesn't mean I want bad things for you. Again, no need to reach out to me unless you hear anything about the case or new threats. Cheers._

**Charlotte Heywood @CharlotteHeywood**   
_I am relieved and encouraged to see the progress Evan Shay is making in his health, and I wish him nothing but support and strength in his journey._

The language Alison crafted seemed appropriately polite and empathetic, and yet terse enough to appear disinterested. As expected, she received an onslaught of DMs urging her to get back together with Evan, lambasting her for not being more effusive and for not openly declaring her undying love for him. There were a few that supported her decision to leave Evan so many years ago.

She didn’t respond to any of them.

* * *

Security had been briefed, Tom and Mary had been briefed. The rest of the day was spent waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe there was no other shoe. She hoped.  
  


Clara: _Well, Evan continues to prove himself to be an asshole. You guys doing ok?_

Esther: _I'm fine. I never considered him a brother._

Charlotte: _Yeah, I posted a pseudo response. Hopefully the fandom will get the message that I'm not with him, never gonna be with him._

Clara: _You two know I love you guys, right?_ 🤗

Charlotte: 🥰

Esther: 💜

Esther: _Hey, how was the Lightning Fields festival?_

Clara: _Aces! That cute EDM guy is actually that hot EDM guy_ 🍑🍆

Esther: 😲 _You guys. I think we landed a triple word score this weekend!_

Charlotte: 

Clara: _Wait, Charlotte, you and Sidney?_ 🔥

Charlotte: _Yep_

Esther: _Clara, looks like I owe you 5._

Clara: _Ha! I was right! Charlotte, give us the details!_

Charlotte: _Things are a little insane right now. My life is a hot mess._

Esther: _I saw the room. Can confirm._

Clara: _I meant details about Sidney._

Charlotte: _I'm still free falling into the abyss. It's unsettling._

Clara: _Nicely done, Charlotte. So are you thinking this could be more than your usual hookup?_

Charlotte: _It’s already more. Though that bar was set pretty low. I mean, Siri knows me better than any of the guys I've dated in the past few years._

Esther: _Clara. H_ _e._ _Made._ _Her._ _Dinner._

Clara _:_

Clara: _Shit. That is hardcore_

Charlotte: _P.S. abs for days_

Clara: 💧💦🌊

Esther: _So is he aware of all the Shaywood drama?_

Charlotte: _Yes, he has been briefed. He seems mostly concerned about my safety._

Clara: _That's hotter than him making dinner._ 😍

Esther: _What are you going to do when you come back to London?_

Charlotte: _Not sure, I'll see if the hotel can put me up for awhile._

Clara: _Oh btw, I'll be at your party on Saturday. And I'm bringing EDM guy._ _He actually brought it up._

Charlotte: _How does he know about it?_

Clara: _The DJ for the party is apparently a big deal._

Charlotte: _Nice. Well, I had nothing to do with the planning, but I'm glad there is some buzz about it. Esther, you coming?_

Esther: _No, I'm taking the train back to Sanditon._

Clara: _Bow chicka wow wow_

Esther: _That is deeply disturbing._ _Don't ever do that again!_

Clara: 😜

* * *

“So you go from nothing to full-on relationship in a couple days? What’s with the extremes?” Will asked Sidney as they wound down after one of their classes.

“It’s not how I would characterize it.” Not that it hasn't been fun.

“Right, no official labels or anything. But aren’t you spending a lot of time together?” Frank asked.

“In the interest of her safety, Frank,” Will interjected. 

Frank smirked. "Just for 'safety?' And just at night?"

"Easy, Frank. There have been concerns about online threats, thanks to the rabid fandom of Evan Shay."

“You’d be the same way, Babbers, if Esther lived here,” Frank added.

“That's probably true,” Will answered with a look of satisfied defeat. “I guess I can’t blame you, man. And she goes back to London this weekend?”

“Yes,” he hesitated. “And actually I’m going with her to some work party on Saturday.” Sidney looked a bit sheepish, and was preparing himself for their response.

Frank and Will stopped what they were doing and looked at him, with concern.

“Wait, is this the launch party for that bougie hotel? Esther said that was coming up.” Will asked. 

“Yes, why?”

“That’s a rather conspicuous role to be in,” Frank looked at him with apprehension.

"And?"

"As the man on the arm of an It-Girl, you will have to be on top of your game," Will replied. "You know, no discussions about philosophy or the gross irresponsibility of the first world. You know, maybe have some witty comments ready about pop culture or something."

"Or maybe just be the strong silent type," Frank added.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, boys. You really think I can't hold my own for one night?”

“Well, be sure to wear clean underpants,” Frank advised.

Sidney scowled and rolled his eyes. “Thanks, I’ll set a reminder on my phone.”  


* * *

For Charlotte, the rest of the week was a blur. She wasn't sure how she managed to plow through all her meetings and get everything done, but the work got done, and things were put in motion that no longer needed her handholding. 

In the evenings, she stayed at the resort to keep a low profile. And much to her delight, Sidney stayed with her. He made her laugh every time he entered the room, affected his best Sergeant David Budd impression and reported, "All clear, ma'am."

Bodyguard. Hot. 

His humourous side was a far cry from the grumpy dick he was when she first met, and it was a perceptible change noticed by Tom, Mary and Arthur. 

"I don't think I've ever seen him so lighthearted. I had no idea there was this side to him," Mary remarked one day, after Sidney and Charlotte left a meeting. 

"Neither did I, frankly," Tom said bemused.

Arthur shook his head. "I knew he had it in him. It just needed someone like Charlotte to bring it out."

"Do you think they'll last?" Tom asked, skeptically.

"Have some confidence, Tom," Mary insisted. "She seems like she's really happy too. I think they're really compatible."

On Charlotte's last day on site, there was little fanfare, since she knew she would return again as meetings dictated, and of course, for their launch party when the time came. She said goodbye to the Parkers, but didn't mention anything about returning for a social visit - that hadn't been discussed at all with Sidney - so she kept quiet about when she might be back.

She and Sidney had arranged for her to pick him up at his place, to avoid the prying eyes of coworkers. She was nervous. The main reason was that she wasn't sure how messy her apartment might be. Given Sidney's minimalist space, she was worried even in its cleanest state, her place was going to seem like hoarder's den by comparison. Additionally - and maybe she should reconsider her priorities given this was a distant second reason for her anxiety - she wasn't sure if the Evangelists knew where she lived, or if there was any recent #Shaywood chatter that threatened her. She almost dreaded going home, in case there were mystery packages or creepy pictures. She left messages for the detectives but there was no answer back. 

Sidney came down, carrying what appeared to be a pastry box along with his bags.

"Arthur gave us a snack for later. Apparently he thinks we're going to into the wilderness or something."

"Well, it can be wild, but there is definitely food in London. What did he give us?"

"Not sure, I haven't looked yet." After getting situated, he finally opened the box, as Charlotte impatiently peered in. Sidney turned red as he read the note Arthur left inside.

"Sticky peach tarte," he shook his head, as Charlotte laughed. "I might kill him this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there is a strong overlap of Theo James fans and Richard Madden fans, but if you don't know Sgt David Budd, watch Bodyguard on Netflix right away. Richard Madden is excellent and won several awards for his performance. Plus he's 🔥🔥🔥 https://youtu.be/tLfLU6-9lxY


	20. Chapter 20

Throughout the ride to London, Sidney asked Charlotte for a debrief on the characters he would likely encounter at the launch party, as well as some guidance of how he should behave.

“Sidney, I don’t know why you’re concerned about this. There’s no need to perform or anything.”

“I’m not concerned, but I won’t know anyone, so I just want to get in the right mindset.”

“Clara will be there,” she answered, as they pulled into the garage of her building.

“Right. Well, I don’t think we’ve had much in-depth conversation, so it’s not like I know her better than anyone else there.”

She paused, after parking and turning off the engine, and turned to him, looking concerned.

“My main objective is to get through the ceremony. I don’t need to worry about whether this event gets the right publicity, because that’s the responsibility of the PR firm. Beyond that, it’s just a work party. We are free to leave as soon as my part is over.”

“I know this is important to you, and I’d like to be a good supporting cast member.”

“Supporting cast? Is that what you think I want you to be for me?” Charlotte was concerned that this was his frame of mind, coming to London for her. She knew how that felt, and it sucked.

“You’re not an accessory or part of my ensemble, Sidney.”

“Thank you, but this is your natural habitat, is it not?” he teased.

She felt mildly offended, and looked at him with sincerity. “I’ll be blunt. You’re going to see some major attention seekers tomorrow. They are the consumers of the experience I’m paid to create, so I won’t treat them with contempt. But you are infinitely above all that.”

On their way up from the garage, Charlotte stopped by to pick up her mail, which included several packages and envelopes. She had forgotten about all the random purchases she made in her late night angst-shopping, and now seeing all the boxes, she was reminded just how crazy she had been just a week ago. She sensed his unspoken shock at the volume of stuff, and felt a little embarrassed.

“Uh, things really get out of hand after being away for nearly two weeks,” she stammered.

“Let me help you,” and he grabbed a few of the larger packages from her, as they rode the elevator to the top floor.

Upon entry, Charlotte was relieved it was cleaner than she had remembered. Sidney was surprised at Charlotte’s loft. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting of her personal space - he probably assumed it would look like a hotel lobby since that was her work - but instead it looked like a design studio inside a book shop. There were dressmaker’s mannequins against the windows, piles of design magazines, large mood boards with fragments of tactile fabrics, paint swatches and pictures. The mood boards also had pushpins stuck to them, attaching little trinkets, perfume samples, and even a few packaged snacks from various countries.

“What’s all this?” he asked, fascinated by the connection of seemingly unrelated objects.

“When I put these boards together, I try to include things beyond what you would see and feel. Sometimes a scent or a taste is specifically evocative of an idea to me.” She shrugged. “I might be odd. I know Arthur would probably get it.”

Sidney nodded. He didn’t fully understand the process, but he did appreciate it. And there was something incredibly intimate about seeing her workspace.

“Would you like something to drink? I’m not sure what I have, but I know I definitely have tea.”

“Tea is fine.”

After settling in, she and Sidney sat down at the window, looking down at the street. The building wasn’t that tall, but there was a view that looked out over the rooftops of the neighboring buildings.

The sky was darkening as evening drew.

“There’s no ocean view, but it is very pretty after dark,” she said.

“This is nice,” he replied. “But you know I’m not here for the view.”

She looked at him smiled. “Thank you for coming.”

He again affected a mockingly formal tone befitting a personal safety officer. “I had to make sure the package was delivered safely, ma’am.”

She laughed. “Look, you’re going to have stop that bodyguard stuff because that’s akin to cheating.” After a pause, she added, “The police said I shouldn’t stay here for too long, so I arranged for a room at the hotel.”

“That makes sense.”

“Honestly, I was hoping to spend time at home, but apparently that’s unwise.”

“Too bad. I like your place.”

“Do you? I was afraid you would find it to be claustrophic and chaotic, since you live like a Scandinavian concept artist.”

“Hardly! I just don’t have very many things.”

“Well, I do apologize that my place is rather untidy,” she grimaced. “I didn’t leave here thinking I’d have a guest when I returned.”

“Your space is very creative, like what I imagine a fashion designer’s space to be like.”

“Maybe more of a fashion design refugee,” she sighed. “Let me get some things together for tomorrow.”

“Charlotte,” Sidney stopped her from getting up. “You know, I’ll have to go back to Sanditon after the weekend. I’m concerned about leaving you alone.”

She inhaled and frowned.

“I’m alright.” In truth, she did not like the idea of being alone under the new elevated level of caution. But additionally, she hadn’t spent so much time with one man since Evan. And this couldn’t have been more different.

“I know you’re alright, but I’m still not sure it’s a good idea for you to be alone, even at the hotel. Can you stay with Esther? Or Clara? Or anyone just so you have company?”

“I’m sure I can find someone to put me up. I’ll have to get back to my life at some point, though. I don’t know that that can be helped.”

Sidney considered what this was going to mean, but given they’d barely been together a week, he didn’t want to spook her with a discussion that he himself wasn’t ready to have.

“Maybe bring as much as you can, so you don’t have to come back here too often?” he suggested.

“I was thinking about that,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll probably have to have someone else pick up my mail too.”

He followed her into the bedroom, bringing in all her packages.

“Hm, this one looks like a priority package,” he looked up at her, holding the box from Agent Provocateur, and tossing the rest aside.

“Oh?” she looked over her shoulder as she pulled clothes from the closet to pack. “Better bring that one for the weekend then,” she smirked.

“What else do you have in your closet that we could bring this weekend?” he said, sidling up to her, gently moving aside her hair to kiss the nape of her neck.

She felt her skin awaken at his touch, the hairs standing on end from her neck, down her arms, through her scalp. The feel of his lips accelerated her breath, and she whispered, “We’re never going to get out of here if you kiss me like that.”

“I confess I do have a bit of an agenda.” His words, hot and damp, seeped into the sensitivity of her neck, and she was flying. “Sidney…”

“I’m right here,” his hands moved lower. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and everything faded away but the contact of his mouth on her shoulder, his fingers pulling up her skirt. She felt him press himself against her, and she opened her eyes to view their reflection in the mirror.

In the soft warm light of Charlotte’s closet, something set them off - perhaps it was the look they gave each other in the mirror, perhaps it was the extreme sense of enclosure and intimacy. It couldn’t have hurt that they looked gorgeous together. He continued to undress her, and there was no hiding her arousal, she was liquid in his hands. At that point, things devolved into something raw and feral. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his intense look as he placed both her palms against the mirror. That smouldering look of his, that killed her each time she caught it, was fiercer and darker now. She then let her lids close halfway, welcoming him and then submitting to him as their bodies became dominated by his strength and physicality. She was much smaller in stature, and he had her tight in his arms - at some points her feet literally did not touch the ground - and they both lost themselves, not into a light bright ecstasy, but some place deeper, demanding, and buried in the dark parts of both their psyche.

Evening turned into night. They lost a lot of time, but goddamn. Turns out Sidney had a literal closet primal nature, and that made her incredibly aroused. This side was not part of the outward persona of the good-hearted, philosophically-minded reserved man (weren't those Arthur's words?). And Charlotte couldn't help smiling to herself.

"What happened in there?" she asked lazily, as he lay next to her. "And what conditions do I need to replicate to ensure that's always there?"

He laughed softly. "I don't know. Something just felt extremely private, like we were hidden from everything and everyone, just us and nothing else. And it was... liberating."

She understood, and snuggled in closer to him. Had she known her enchanted closet could produce such explosive experiences, she'd have spent more time in there.

When she finally completed packing her things, it was late, and she felt bad for making Sidney wait, though he had been sleeping most of the time. His contribution to the packing was to include all of her lingerie sets and a couple of sex toys he found in her nightstand. That was embarrassing. But she definitely was going to need those after he went back to Sanditon.

She woke him, and at last, they were out the door.

They picked up some food from a late night noodle shop, and checked into the hotel.

“Oh, Miss Heywood, the management has left this packet for you ahead of tomorrow’s event,” the front desk agent said, handing over a thick press kit. “And also, you’ll find a thank-you gift in your room.” The woman smiled broadly at her.

“By the way, Miss Heywood,” she added with a sneaky smile as if she was sharing a secret. _“We love the new uniforms.”_  
Charlotte beamed and gave Sidney a pleased look.

Charlotte and Sidney woke early enough for a short run, and then breakfast, but following that, Sidney was left on his own for much of the afternoon, as Charlotte fielded panicked calls from the hotel PR agent. There was only so much time he cared to spend in the hotel gym and cafe, so he returned to the room.

"Have you checked the chatter on Twitter?" he asked.

She hadn't. She was too fearful of jumping down that time trap. 

"Do you mind checking for me? In case there's anything we need to know now?"

He searched and began down the rabbit hole. Most of what he read seemed to be in the genre of "trolling." There were a lot of terrible spellers on Twitter. There were a lot of really complicated conspiracy theories as well. Charlotte and Evan had been secretly married for five years. Charlotte had tried to have Evan murdered in rehab. Charlotte was secretly a lesbian and was actually involved with Evan's step-sister...

"Evan is Esther's step brother!?" Sidney asked incredulously.

"Oh, yeah, but they're estranged. In fact, I don't think they've ever lived together. He doesn't get along with anyone in his family. She and I became friends when there was some kind of legal drama. Evan versus every other Denham or something."

"Wow, that's weird."

About two hours before the party, Charlotte’s makeup and hair stylist Lydia arrived.

“I thought you said this wasn’t going to be a big production,” he said in a low voice to Charlotte, as the woman set up her gear.

“It’s not,” she looked at him perplexed, as if a makeup artist were as ordinary a requirement for a party as brushing one's teeth.

Clearly, their definitions of a big production were grossly uneven.

Finally, Charlotte was nearly done, when the makeup artist turned to Sidney and declared, “Ok, love, your turn. You all scrubbed up?”

“Oh, uh…” he stammered, thrown off by the idea that somehow he too had to have makeup and hair done.

“We’re just gonna do a little refinement, that’s all.”

She slapped a wet paper masque on him (which admittedly frightened him when he glimpsed himself in the mirror), and styled his hair, carefully taming his waves into something still wavy yet more defined. Once the mask came off, she patted him down, trimmed his brows, and tidied up his stubble. He thought he looked the same, except shinier and more symmetrical.

Anyhow, it didn’t matter what he looked like, because Charlotte came out in a stunning gold dress and practically sucked the air out of the room.

“You look incredible,” he said smiling, and gave her a kiss lightly on the hand so as not to mess up Lydia’s work. She looked at him and smiled broadly.

“Wow, Lydia. Didn’t think you could improve perfection, but I guess you just did.” Sidney felt self conscious under the scrutiny, and quickly excused himself to get dressed.

The event was being held at the hotel’s rooftop pool. Charlotte and Sidney stepped out of the elevator, and were overwhelmed by pulsating dance music. It had been a long time since Sidney subjected himself to such a scene, and the shock of the deafening music made him make a face that made Charlotte laugh. It wasn’t that crowded yet, but Charlotte had to grab Sidney by the hand and navigate around the throng to walk past the VIP check in.

“Hey Lola,” Charlotte called out to a willowy modelesque woman, checking guest names on an iPad.

“Charlotte! They’re waiting for you at the far side of the pool,” she called out as Charlotte and Sidney pressed through.

Finally reaching a clearing, she turned around to look at him.

“This is so much more tolerable with you here. Thank you.”

“Oh, um, my pleasure,” he smiled weakly.

“Hold on, just one moment. I need to check in and make sure everything is ok.”

“No worries, I’m going to see how long I get away with not talking to anyone over here..”

He took a look around, and the space was unique, to be sure. It evoked a mood, something between an arthouse cinema and a Bond villain’s lair. There were glowing orbs floating on the pool, as well as a glowing inflatable penguin. Hm. Perhaps a drink would help him understand.

After a quick word with the executives, Charlotte was making her way back to him, but more people had arrived and now she could barely move. Wedged between a planter and a lounge set by the pool, Charlotte texted Sidney.

Charlotte: _I’m stuck. I can’t get past this throng of achingly trendy kids._

Sidney: _Which ones? This whole place is crawling with them._

Sidney: _Oh, I see you. Hang on, I’ve got a drink for you. Be there in a sec._

She smiled to herself and put her phone away, just as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, thinking it must have been one of the PR people.

Aw jeez.

“Um, James?” she looked up incredulously. “I didn’t realize you’d be here.”

“That’s not much of a hello for someone who hasn’t seen you in weeks.”

“What are you doing here? I didn’t think you had much connection to the boutique hotel world.”

“Well, I’m here with a friend.”

“Ok, well, enjoy.” She tried to turn away, but again was unable to get past the wall of people.

James pulled her back. “Hey don’t go yet,” he said, drawing her a bit too close. “I’ve missed you.”

“James, look, I’m here with someone.”

“Charlotte,” he gave her a smirk. “That’s ok, I am too. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you but you aren’t taking my calls, you disappeared from your flat, you blocked me.” At this point, his brow was pinching together, and the smile was transforming into a scowl.

“We were good together, babe.”

Ew. “No, actually we weren’t.” She wrested her arm free from him. “James, I’m sorry I don’t feel the same way.”

"Hey you know I've been trying really hard to find you. You could at least try a little." He was increasingly agitated. "You owe me at least some attention."

"I owe you nothing!" she shot back.

“Charlotte!” She and James both turned to see Clara bounding up, with Sidney in tow, who upon seeing Charlotte’s face immediately knew James was a problem.

“Look who I found wandering!” she said with a wink. Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief to see Sidney. James looked him over and looked back at Charlotte.

“Oh, I see you’ve met James!” Clara gushed.

Charlotte looked at her in disbelief and leaned in. “Clara, this is EDM guy??”

“’EDM guy?’ Are you fucking serious?” James made a face at Clara. He then gestured at Sidney.

“Is this the ass that was in your photo?”

“Excuse me?” Oh, shit. Sidney stepped in next to Charlotte and inserted himself between her and James.

“I saw that picture of you and your ‘client’s’ ass a while back on the gossip sites, Charlotte. This him?”

Sidney could tell Charlotte was ready to lunge, even with him blocking her.

“You need to apologize to Sidney right now, James.”

“For what?” he scoffed. “You wouldn’t dare cause a scene, Charlotte. Not at such an affair like this.”

"Wait, I'm so confused! You guys know each other?" Clara interjected.

"Pretty well, actually," James smirked.

"Oh piss off, James! Why do you have to be such a douchbag?"

"Oh, there's the fiesty Charlotte I've missed," he answered grinning. 

"James, I brought Charlotte up a million times! Why didn't you say anything??" Clara was livid.

“Oh, please just fuck off, Clara? I was never here because of you. I saw you at Lightening Fields, recognized you from Charlotte's pictures. You got me in here, end of story. So good night and thank you."

"You used me to get close to my friend?! You complete piece of shit!"

Charlotte’s jaw dropped, Clara instantly began smacking him with both hands. Charlotte was yelling, James was yelling, it was mayhem. Sidney couldn’t even get a word in edgewise, but he did manage to hold Charlotte back while pulling Clara away from James. 

"Oh, here comes the hero to save the girls," James taunted. 

Sidney let go of the Charlotte and Clara, and smiled calmly. "I'm happy to make this a private conversation if you like."

James was a bit taller than Sidney, but clearly much slower, since his wide right hook landed nothing but air as Sidney deftly dodged it. The momentum of James' swing landed him into the group of painfully cool kids, who were suddenly trying to save their limited edition Supreme hats and Adidas trainers from the drinks that went flying. It was a perfect diversion. Sidney grabbed Clara and Charlotte and hustled them away from a shrieking growing crowd that was now clustering around the cool kids, and trying to shove James into the pool.

The three of them were nearly to the elevator when they heard several splashes. Looking back, Charlotte realized at least 4 of the kids plus James were in the pool, a woman was laughing hysterically, and then someone began tossing the glowing penguin around. 

Clara and Charlotte were both agape at how quickly things fell apart, while Sidney had a huge shit-eating grin. "I owe you a huge apology, Charlotte!" Sidney exclaimed. "These parties are a riot!"


	21. Chapter 21

On the street outside the hotel, a small cluster of photographers and women were gathered around the cordoned entry, being pushed back by security guards. The smattering of Instagram influencers and models created a mild stir. At a well timed lull in the guest arrivals, Evan’s car pulled up, and the photographers (tipped off by Evan's publicist) immediately jockeyed for position. He emerged from his vehicle, in a bespoke slate grey suit, a burgundy vest and a tortoise shelled sunglasses, tinted amber. His hair was also much darker than his previously highlighted blond color, which the Beaufort sisters derided as reeking of 2007.

The small crowd started shouting, and Evan stood, angled to present his good side.

"Hey Evan! You still sober?" one of the paparazzi shouted.

“Sober and rocking it!” He shouted back.

“Love the new hair color! Is this for the new role?”

“Yes, lots of new changes coming!” he answered.

“Evan, are you back with Charlotte?”

At this question, he stopped. “Why would you ask that?”

“There’s all sorts of rumours about Shaywood being back together. When was the last time you saw each other?”

He took off his tinted sunglasses, and looked slyly at the photographer who was shouting the questions at him. “I’m not commenting on that,” he said with a wink. That caused quite a commotion in the crowd who started shouting even more.

“Are you and Charlotte back together?”

“I didn’t say that,” he replied.

“But you didn’t _not_ say that,” one of the photographers replied. He raised an eyebrow, and gave a half smile.

“Have you apologized to Charlotte directly?”

"Is she here tonight?"

"Are you here together?"

He said nothing but smiled knowingly and turned to head into the lobby. Inside, his assistant/personal photographer/social media manager Lisa was waiting for him.

“Wow, Bunny and Jewel Beaufort really gave you a glow up! This whole look is so fire!” she gushed.

“Thank you, love. So you just do whatever you need to do keep me trending on all the social platforms, ok? And you must get good pictures of me and Charlotte. That was Jane’s instruction. And use whatever filters to make me look young and virile.”

“I’m limited by my source material, but I’ll do what I can.”

He shot her a look. “Um, I’ve eaten assistants for fun before. I hope you won’t be one of those.”

She moved back, unsure if he was being playful.

“I’m kidding!” he said loudly, then shot her another look, and whispered, “Or am I?”

* * *

Clara was in tears and there was no consoling her. Charlotte and Sidney decided to take her to the room, and let her break down in private.

“Clara, I am so sorry about all this. James is a complete shit and I totally would have warned you about him. And honestly I had no idea he was still trying to get in touch with me.”

Bringing that up was probably not what Clara wanted to hear, and she lashed out at Charlotte. “Look, I don’t think it was your fault, but you know, it’s not easy being your friend sometimes.”

Charlotte was stunned. “Clara, I don’t know what to say. You’re one of my closest friends, and I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“I know, I know,” she sobbed. “But you always get everything, Charlotte. You get the job, you get the success, you get the hot guy.” She gestured at Sidney, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

“James wasn’t like a manicorn or anything, but I just want someone who wants me back.” Charlotte hugged her and comforted her while Clara wailed. Sidney brought a box of tissues, and then opened one of the bottles of wine in the mini bar.

“Don’t do that…” Clara said between sniffles. “Those are so overpriced.”

Charlotte laughed. “See how much I love you? I would give you hotel-priced wine when you’re down.”

Finally, she got a little smile out of Clara. At that moment, Charlotte’s phone buzzed and it seemed she was being summoned back for the event’s key activities.

“Go, go, I’ll be fine,” Clara said. “I just need to collect myself, and I’ll head home.”

“Clara, don’t do that. Why don’t you tidy up and rejoin the party?”

“I can’t go back up there. Look at me!” Indeed, Clara's eyes were now so swollen, she looked like a goldfish.

“Clara do you want to stay here tonight?” Charlotte asked, as Sidney tried to shake his head at Charlotte without Clara noticing.

“Stay with you guys?” she sniffed, looking up at them both. Sidney affected a weak smile. “Can I sleep in the middle?”

Charlotte burst out laughing. She knew Clara well enough to know this was her sense of humour trying to defeat the hurt, but she’d probably have to explain this to Sidney later.

“I’m just kidding,” she said, blowing her nose into a tissue. “Mostly.”

Charlotte was still laughing, but Sidney’s face indicated he was very opposed.

“That’s not a ‘no…’” Clara attempted to smile. There’s a time and place for, uh, group activities, but this was not one of them.

“Clara, how can you be so thirsty _and_ upset at the same time?”

Clara shrugged. “I dunno. I got issues,” she said nonchalantly.

“Ok, sweetie, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back up there for the ceremony. Take as long as you need.”

“Thanks Charlie, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to go home and have several drinks.”

“I’ll walk her down and get her a taxi,” Sidney said.

For some reason, this made Clara bawl even harder. She hugged Charlotte and wailed. “He’s so nice…” she sobbed. “And he’s so hot… It’s not fair…”

Charlotte suppressed a laugh and looked at Sidney, who was blushing.

“Go ahead, I’ll meet you up there,” he said to her, while she gave Clara a tight embrace.

* * *

At the pool, burly security guys were still trying to gain control of a now raucous crowd. It looked like James had been removed as Charlotte did not see him in the pool or in the crowd. The DJ took advantage of the chaos and was unleashing a mix that seemed to encourage the guests to keep jumping into the water. It took a good 20 minutes, but finally the chaos subsided somewhat.

Charlotte made her way to the front where a makeshift dais had been set up. The music died down enough for the ceremony to begin. There were introductions of the hotel general manager, assorted other VIPs, and finally Charlotte. One of the executives talked about the incredible journey they had been on, and how this moment was the culmination of the work of hundreds, and finally, thanks to the vision of the lovely Charlotte Heywood, the hotel was going to be the epicenter of cool.

Sidney watched the ceremony from the side, unable to not smile proudly. At the same time, he wanted to make sure he had a vantage point to keep an eye on the crowd, and ensure James didn’t return. Charlotte in her gold curvy dress popped open a massive bottle of champagne - that was incredibly suggestive - as confetti cannons went off around them. A few people screamed as champagne sprayed the crowd, but most cheered and people swarmed the dais. There were photographers angling to get photos with Charlotte, the hotel’s management and the VIPs.

Off to the side, Sidney noticed a well-dressed man in a dark suit and tinted glasses. It was Evan Shay. Sidney’s brow drew together in concern. He looked around the crowd to see if there were potential problem fans, but all seemed like either hotel industry people or influencers who were way too cool to be an Evangelist. There was a woman who seemed to be shadowing Evan, constantly taking pictures, but mostly at his direction.

Sensing potential trouble, Sidney urged forward through the crowd and closer to Charlotte, who evidently had not seen Evan yet.

Evan turned to Lisa, and beckoned her closer. “Take a video. I’m going to say something and then I want to you pan to Charlotte on stage.” Lisa nodded, and reached into her gear bag to pull out a handheld gimbal. Fixing her phone in the clamp in the middle, she started recording and cued Evan.” Evan affected a loud fake whisper. “Look who it is up there,” and winked into the camera. He turned toward the stage as Lisa zoomed in on Charlotte.

At that moment another champagne bottle popped in the distance, and Lisa startled.

“Oh for god’s sake, did that ruin the shot?” Evan asked.

“Nah, I can cut it out.”

Evan pressed forward, and was now only a few feet away from Charlotte, who still had her back toward him. He turned back to Lisa and said, “Ok, I’m going to attempt to apologize to Charlotte. Try to get video of it and we can use it in an Instagram story.” Lisa kept filming until finally Charlotte turned around. Her face went from smiling broadly to a dark scowl, her lips slightly parted as she glared.

“What are you doing here, Evan?” Danger, Charlotte Heywood.

“I was invited, my dear.”

“Who invited you?” Damnit, she never did read that email with the final guest list.

“Oh, I don’t know, obviously someone who wants the cachet of having an actor-musician-cum renaissance man like myself in attendance.”

“Ok, well, enjoy.” She turned around, stopped down from the dais and muttered to herself, “He’s up to something.”

“Wait, can we speak, Charlie?” Charlotte was backing away and her expression and body language was not welcoming.

“You look incredible, Charlotte. And you’ve done an amazing job here.”

“Thank you.” Resting bitch face at 100%.

“Evan, Charlotte!” Lisa called out. “Can I get a picture of the two of you?” Before Charlotte could decline, Lisa had already taken a few of the two of them looking at her - Evan was beaming and had extended his arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. Charlotte was not smiling, and had stiffened.

Seeing Evan touch Charlotte like that triggered a protective and angry reaction in Sidney, who now was pushing people aside to get to her, but security guards were circling the front area, where Charlotte was being pulled by the PR agents to give interviews to videographers. Evan kept hanging around, just out of Charlotte’s space, as if waiting for her so they could walk off together.

A few of the guests noticed Evan and Charlotte were talking and immediately took out their phones to record the interaction. Once Charlotte wrapped up her comments, she walked off, away from Evan.

“Hey babe, I really want to talk to you, you know. I meant it when I said I needed to apologize to you.”

She sighed, and glanced around to see if anyone had overheard. “Not here, Evan,” she said in a low voice, eyeing Lisa suspiciously.

He blurted out, “I’m sorry about Georgia.”

She grimaced and whispered, “Oh god, you fucking ambush me at my own event? Christ, I am not doing this here. I’m not doing this now. Or ever.”

She turned and shoved her way through the crowd. Evan started following her, and called out, “Wait, Charlotte!”

Sidney was closing the distance to Charlotte, whose seething demeanor indicated she was ready to throw the night’s second douchebag in the pool. Heh, she was a such a great date, he smirked to himself.

Charlotte deftly made her way toward the guests who had their phones fixed on Evan. She winked at them, and said “Evan loves taking pictures. Now's a great time to catch him.” They swarmed, some asking for selfies, some just taking them without permission. Evan couldn’t resist the adoration, so he stopped, angled himself properly, flashed his practiced smile, and instantly forgot he was pursuing Charlotte.

She didn’t stop, and kept plowing her way through the crowd. She felt a hand on her arm and spun around to swing at Evan, but her hand was intercepted. She relaxed when she realized it was Sidney.

“Let’s go, I’ve had enough of this bullshit,” she said.

“Yes, and I see a lot of cameras pointed at you,” he answered. Sidney put one arm around her waist and held the other out to clear a path, and barked “Move! Excuse me!” until they were cleared and far beyond Evan and his assistant. They took a brief moment to look at each other.

"You ok?" he asked her.

"I'm fine now," she said looking up into his eyes. 

"You were great up there. Congratulations. Everyone seemed pretty pleased with your work." He smiled down at her, and gently touched her face. 

“Charlotte!” They turned, and one of the event coordinators was waving frantically for her to come over. Sidney sighed in frustration. He thought they were clear to leave, but evidently, Charlotte still felt compelled to respond.

"Don't go anywhere. Stay close, please," she said. 

He stood patiently waiting for whatever the emergency was to pass. He’d had enough of the party, and now that no one was getting thrown around, it was significantly less interesting. He took a step back, and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot.

“Oh, excuse me,” but his voice trailed off as his gaze angled upward to face what looked like 6 and half foot tall Gisele Bündchen.

“Yes, excuse you!” Whoa, the voice. Sidney understood.

She looked at him and her face softened. “Oh, I’m sorry, darling, you can bump that ass into me any time.”

“Um, duly noted, but my apologies, I was being clumsy.”

“Oh, you are adorable! Forgive me but you don’t seem like the normal crowd at these things.”

“I am definitely not part of this crowd normally.”

“So what happened? You get lost on your way back from the gym?”

“Oh, no, I’m here with Charlotte Heywood.”

“Oh, the cute little thing that just popped champagne all over everyone?! That girl can wear the hell out a dress. I wish I had tits like that.”

Sidney wasn’t sure what to say to that. He couldn’t disagree, they _were_ fantastic.

“Sorry, sweetie, you’re not her brother or anything, are you?”

“Oh, no, I’m just her date.”

“Just? Mmm, I’m guessing you’re a lot more than a date to her. I saw the way you were walking her away from that vile ex-husband of hers.”

“Oh, you know of Evan?”

“Everyone knows about Evan. Everyone knows about Shaywood, too.”

“Right,” Sidney tensed at the term.

“Don’t worry, honey. Everyone also knows Evan’s publicist is behind all those rumours.”

“His publicist? Wait, are you also an… actress?”

“Me?” she threw her head back and laughed deep and loud. “No, but I’m a musician, and nothing happens in these circles that I don’t know about. Everyone spills their tea to me.”

“So how do you know about Evan’s publicist?”

“Jane Bennett is notorious,” she said knowingly. “She plays dirrrty.”

“Interesting. How dirty?”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it past her if she’s orchestrating this illusion of Evan being sober. I’m pretty certain I saw him drinking champagne earlier, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

Sidney wasn’t sure if this made him hate Evan more or made him pity Evan. At this point, Charlotte turned to look back at Sidney, her big brown eyes blinking slowly at him, and smiled. She gestured that she was nearly done.

Giant Gisele leaned down to say in a low voice, “You see, that girl is gone on you, Mr… ?”

“I’m Sidney. Sidney Parker.”

“I’m Lady Worcester. And I say Charlotte lurves Sidney,” she was teasing and making him feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t help smiling, though.

Charlotte finally approached and said, “I’m so sorry for making you wait, Sidney.” She looked up at the massive blond he was speaking to. “Lady Worcester, I saw you perform at last year's Lightning Fields festival. I’m Charlotte Heywood.”

“Sidney and I were just talking about you, darling.” 

“You’re tonight’s headliner, right? I think this whole crowd is here to see you!”

“Well isn’t that sweet. You kids have a good night, now. I’ve got to get ready for my set,” she turned off and winked at Sidney, drawing a heart in the air with her fingers when Charlotte had turned away.

"Come on, Charlotte," Sidney said. "I think I'd like to get back to the room."

"Oh, that's right. There's a package I need to open. And I bought a few things I need to try on."

Now, the night was starting to look up.


	22. Chapter 22

The crowd at the pool was now denser and the selfie-seekers were still crowding around Evan. Lisa was still around somewhere shooting video, but Evan had realized that in the excitement of dealing with fans, he had lost Charlotte. She was now clear across the rooftop, near the lift, looking up into the face of some guy he’d never seen before. She briefly looked in his direction, and caught him staring at her across the pool and the crowd, and then quickly turned away, disappearing into the elevator.

Evan shouldn’t have been surprised that she was here with a date, but he had never known her to be serious with anyone since they broke up. None of her social media ever featured her with a boyfriend, and while he assumed she had relationships, it never occurred to him he’d run into her here with a man. And he knew that look she was giving him. He’d seen it before - but it used to be for him.

He looked back down and focused back on the people in front of him, grateful for the slight coverage of his tinted sunglasses.

“I think I got all the pictures I need,” Lisa said after the last of the selfie seekers had moved away.

“Good,” Evan said, irritated. “Post them.”

* * *

In the privacy of the elevator, Charlotte exhaled. She was unnerved by Evan's presence, having not seen him in person for so long. He'd clearly gone through a transformation for his upcoming role, and he looked like he was healthier. But that last glance of Evan unsettled her - not because she was angry at him, even though she was - but because he looked sad.

To Sidney, Charlotte seemed unflappable during the ceremony, and appeared to have held her own afterwards. But now that it was just the two of them descending to their floor, he could see her body twitching slightly, her breath uneven and eyes blinking rapidly. He put his arms around her shoulders and held her tight. She was still jittery, but said nothing.

“Breathe with me,” he whispered, and took a deep breath. She tried to match him, and felt like she was going to suffocate by the first exhalation, until she was finally able to slow down. When they reached their floor, her shoulders had descended and her face relaxed a little.

He walked her to the room, still holding her tightly with one arm and using his other to unlock and open the door. Once inside, he held her close, enveloping her with his body and letting her ease into the comfort of him.

After a couple minutes of silence, he sat her down on the bed, and asked, “Are you alright?”

She nodded. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t with me.”

“You were fine, Charlotte. You handled that like the pro that you are,” he gently touched her hair, exposing the well of her neck that he always found so appealing. “And that couldn’t have been easy with two exes in the audience, no less.”

She scoffed. “James isn’t an ex.”

“ _He_ seems to think so. You don't think he was the one who sent the flowers to you at the resort, do you? I had just assumed all this time it was Eliza.”

“I don't think he knew where I was. I certainly never told him." She tried to remember what he had said by the pool - something that indicated he knew she hadn't been home. "Sidney, I’m just glad you were there tonight.”

“I am too! I mean, I got to shove someone in a pool... Lady Worcester told me I was adorable..." he paused to see if she was lightening up. She wasn't. "I get to spend the night with you."

Finally, she gave a small laugh. 

He moved back so she could look him in the eyes and gave her that uneven smile that sometimes meant playfulness, sometimes endearment. This time, there was a gravity in his eyes though, that seemed to convey something deeper. “Charlotte, I never would have let anything happen to you. I would keep you safe. You know that.”

Somewhere in the distance, a chorus of unicorns sang. Yep, _that_ voice just said _those_ words, and she melted. She tilted her head to face him and said, "I know you would." She lay her head on his shoulder and he stroked her hair. 

After a moment, she asked “How was Clara when you saw her off?”

“About what you’d expect for a girl who got fucked over by an asshole trying to stalk her friend.”

Charlotte sighed. Clara didn’t deserve that. In the years she’d known Clara, it had not occurred to her that she felt jealousy or any kind of rivalry. They worked in different worlds that occasionally crossed over, but they never competed against each other for jobs or men. It never occurred to her that Clara would envy any part of what Charlotte had.

“I feel really bad about what she said.”

“About wanting to be in a three-way with us? Because that _is_ a bit weird.”

She laughed. “No. I mean, yes, that is awkward, but that’s not what I was referring to. I meant the part about how it's hard being friends with me. I'm not going to lie, that really hurt.”

When they first met, and he had dismissed her as being a party girl, she was adamant to prove him wrong and she did. But he guessed there were probably a lot of people who had that impression of her, perhaps even her friends. 

"You work really hard to get what you have, and you make it look easy. I'm sure a lot of people assume they are entitled to have the same things, without putting in the effort," he offered. 

She thought about that. Did it really seem easy?

“So er... Does that happen, um, often with Clara?"

"What? Her resenting me?"

"No, I meant, uh, the Clara sandwich bit," he said awkwardly. He seemed to be holding his breath. "Because if you give me fair warning, I could see what I could do, but frankly, I’m not so good at multi-tasking.”

Charlotte lost it, and was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Sidney smiled down at her, relieved she was relaxing now.

“Oh no, no, that’s not going to happen!"

"Oh thank god," he said relieved. "I mean, Clara is a lovely person, but I just don't want to do that. Nope, no thank you."

"Well, no one's making anyone do things they don't want to do. But honestly, I thought that was every man’s fantasy, no?”

“Who said I was every man?” Sidney asked offended.

“I never did, for sure. It’s just as well, because I don’t think I’m one to share,” she said. “I mean, I’m not opposed to adventure, but I'm selfish, and I feel like I haven’t learned everything about you yet.”

He pulled her in closer, and she stood, gathered up her dress and straddled his lap, circling both her arms around his head.

“You haven’t,” he replied slyly.

“How mysterious,” she said, intrigued. “What secrets are you holding back, Sidney?” she breathed into his ear. He sensed a wave of sensitivity pass over him from the light touch of her lips as she spoke.

“I think it’s better to show than to tell,” he said burying his lips into her neck. She smelled a bit of vanilla and coffee and warmth and glamour. 

“Do we need someplace enclosed and private?” she smiled, knowingly.

“That’s not exactly what I was feeling at the moment,” he answered looking up at her, strikingly intense and determined. "We have a stunning view from this room. I think we should take advantage of it."

He stood, took her hand and led her to the window. The room was dark, and the city lights glowed over the tops of the nearby buildings. The city could be glittery and exciting, and she often forgot to appreciate that. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and held her up to the glass, and she felt all senses roused by the thrill of his strong embrace, the faint scent of body heat and cologne, and the view of the twinkling city. 

She felt him move one hand down, but she was already ahead of him, impatient to move past the party and the ridiculousness of the night, and on to the private moments she could have with Sidney now. The way he was touching her, and how tactile he was all evening - physically safeguarding her and keeping her secure - made her feel cared for and cherished. It had been many many years since she’d felt that, and it was not so much a conscious recognition of being cherished, but more of an emotional familiarity that she couldn’t place. And it was stirring a surge of desire to feel his strength and masculinity.

Those emotions and the explicit thoughts running through both of their heads set things off, and after some fumbling in the dark, they found themselves against the wall by the window, her back pressed hard on the cool surface and her legs wrapped tightly around him. There was an excited aggression between them, driven by what had transpired that night. There was lust, jealousy and a little sense of victory, and the combination was a high octane fuel that was burning hot and fast. And on top of that, the thrill of being exposed in front of the window was almost too much to withstand.

"Should we close the shades?" Charlotte asked.

"Are you afraid someone will catch us?" he said, playfully. "No one can see. It's darker in the room than it is outside." He leaned into her ear and whispered, "But what if someone did see?" 

Her body betrayed her, and he knew the answer before she could say anything, and before long, it drove them both over the edge.

Weakened by the exertion, they moved back to the bed and collapsed on each other.

Sidney lay awake, still numbed by endorphins and exuding euphoria. Charlotte on the other hand had practically passed out instantly, and was now asleep on his chest. She seemed tiny at the moment - head resting just under his clavicle, face nestled into the hair on his chest, her knees still straddling him with her feet burrowed beneath his body as she was wont to do - seemingly able to fit entirely on his torso as if he were a pool float.

In the moment, he was struck by her stature. She didn’t seem small when she was awake, yet now it was so pronounced, and the last thing he wanted was to leave her alone in London. He thought back, and laughed at himself for thinking he was going to be able to take this slow and to be careful. How typical of him to throw caution to the wind to step in to help. But he’d rather risk being accused of a hero complex than stand aside and watch anyone get hurt. He bristled at the idea of what could have happened, had he not been around.

Charlotte lurves Sidney.

He wished Lady Worcester hadn’t said that, because now that was all he could think about. This was much more than he thought he would feel so soon. Yet to be fair, Charlotte was much more than he had expected. Throughout the course of the party, he recognized that she was an underlying force in the crowd - a covert strength in contrast to, say, Lady Worcester’s overt showmanship. And while Charlotte wouldn’t have seen it in herself, there was a magnetism about her. It was why someone like a James would have been obsessed with capturing her, and why someone like an Evan would have been regretful at losing her. And why Sidney was falling so hard. She was a beacon.

He stroked her hair, her slightly damp skin, and sensed her breathing in sync with his. In that moment of realization, he decided. She had to come back with him.

* * *

Lisa posted the video of Evan watching Charlotte on stage, and the Evangelists lost their collective mind.

_THIS. IS. EVERYTHING._

_OMG, I can’t be the only one crying right now!_

_Charlotte, you better get back with that boy. He still loves you! Look at him!_

> **Evan Shay Reunites With Ex at Exclusive Party**
> 
> LONDON, ENGLAND - Fans of Evan Shay were gifted a ‘moment’ that sent his fans into a tailspin last night, when Shay posted a video of himself at an event with ex-wife Charlotte Heywood. Shay, who will make an appearance in the next installation of the comic book movie 'Hell's Angel: Final Glory,' posted an Instagram story showing him watching Heywood being honored at a recent reopening of a boutique hotel in London.
> 
> The couple, whose short-lived marriage six years ago, has recently been back in question when Shay posted a very public apology, and fans assumed it was directed at Heywood. Shay’s publicist did not indicate that Shay was in a relationship with Heywood or anyone else at this time, but nevertheless, ‘Evangelists’ were highly divided about the possibility of the return of “Shaywood.” Other witnesses at the party indicated the two were not in attendance together, as Shay was photographed arriving alone. Heywood was also seen being escorted away from the event by another man, though it was unclear if he was a security agent or a date...

Evan elected not to post the posed pictures with Charlotte that Lisa took, since Charlotte’s expression and body clearly indicated she was uncomfortable. But that didn’t stop others from the party posting the pictures they took. Most were selfies with Evan, but there was one video in particular where Evan could be heard saying “I’m sorry about …” The ‘Georgia’ part of that sentence was indistinguishable and covered by noise from the person jostling the camera. The rest of the video showed Charlotte walking off, her face not caught on camera.

A few commented that the video clearly showed Charlotte had no interest in Evan at the event, and raised the question of whether Evan's video was just a stunt. He was going to have to have Jane shut the other video down. That just wasn't part of the story.

* * *

Charlotte: _Morning sunshine_  
Clara: _fucking hell_  
Charlotte: _How you feeling?_  
Clara:   
Charlotte: _I’m so sorry. Yesterday was disastrous._  
Clara: _I’m sorry I got all predatory last night._  
Charlotte: 😂 _I forgive you but you probably have to talk to Sidney separately._  
Clara: _I’m sooo mortified._  
Charlotte: _Don’t be. You were treated very poorly and we were worried about you._  
Clara: _Oh, I'll be fine. But that asshole better watch himself._

Clara:   
Charlotte: _James is such a douche. We need Esther back. Dracarys that motherfucker._

Charlotte:   
Clara: _I'll never go to another EDM festival.  
_ Charlotte: _That’s probably a best practice for anyone_

Sidney groaned at the noise of his phone buzzing.

Arthur: _OMG_  
Arthur: _THIS IS YOU!_

He clicked on the link Arthur sent. It was a picture of Lady Worcester with a massive smile, touching Sidney’s shoulder, his face in profile.

Arthur: _I can’t believe you were touched by THE Lady Worcester!_

Sidney sighed, trying to focus on the phone, and squinting from the morning light.

Sidney: _Damn right I was._ _And she called me adorable._  
Arthur: 

Arthur: _Oh, so now you’re so cool that you’re in tight with the hottest DJ in London? I didn’t expect her to be so tall!_  
Sidney: _The stilettos and the massive blond wig add a few inches, but I’m pretty sure she’s still taller than me._  
Arthur: _Amazeballs  
_ Sidney: _You really couldn't be more accurate with that statement._

Sidney realized he lay alone in the bed. He looked up to see where Charlotte had gone. She was seated at the desk, most of her packages had been opened, and there were assorted sheer, strappy things that he wasn't even sure how they could be worn they were so flimsy. He got a roguish expression and picked up something with bows and an open gusset. Ding.

He came up to her from behind, but as he approached, he saw over her shoulder that she was looking at something in her hand. It was a photo - a color photo of her, and Sidney, driving in her car, somewhere in Sanditon.


	23. Chapter 23

“Where did you get that photo?” Sidney asked, cautiously.

“It was in all that mail that I threw in my bag when I was packing.”

“Was there anything else? Any message, letters anything?”

“No, this came in an envelope by itself.”

“Call the detectives. Don’t handle any more of the mail.”

“Ah, well, it's too late for that, unfortunately. It was the last thing I opened," she sighed. "I feel like this probably is the same person who used to send me pictures when I was with Evan - some asshole who wants to intimidate and scare me. Oh, and if you think those two detectives are going to dust for fingerprints and send it off to a lab, forget it. That's too much work for those bumbling morons.” She stood, left the photo on the desk and walked off.

  
Charlotte was right about the detectives. Beecroft and Harris were again no help. They logged the issue, made a note to follow up with the postal service, and told Charlotte to avoid going to wherever she was when the photo was taken. And they added, if she was truly concerned about safety in Sanditon, they were confident the Sanditon police would be able to help.

As she argued with them on the phone, Sidney felt the buzz of his phone.

Tom: _So are you headed back, or did I lose you to London? Don't forget we have that meeting with the contractors tomorrow at 8._

Sidney: _I’ll be on the train this evening, but there’s a bit of a situation. Apparently Charlotte’s stalker has made it to Sanditon._

Tom: _What are you talking about?_

Sidney: _Someone sent an anonymous picture of Charlotte and me in Sanditon_

Tom: _What?? That’s got to be Eliza, right?_

Sidney: _If it were sent to me or you, then I would think so, but it was sent to Charlotte, at her place in London._

Tom: _You’re joking_

Sidney: _I wish._

Tom: _This is a lot of drama to be dealing with. I mean, you guys just started dating. Is it honestly worth the headache?_

Sidney had no response to that question. On the one hand, of course that would be Tom’s reaction. Tom found his partner, set up his family, and had very little empathy or insight in to anyone else’s relationships. On the other hand, Tom was right. There was little vested from either Sidney or Charlotte. No one would be surprised if things simply faded away. He could call it a single dirty weekend, end of story. No one would need to know how he really felt.

Charlotte hung up with the detectives, and sighed. She stared down at her feet and listened to the silence between them. It was not lost on her that he did not repeat his statement from last night that he would keep her safe. Now that the threat had expanded to him, she was confident there would be no repetition of that declaration. If she had been with James when that photo arrived, she was certain he’d have snuck out when she wasn’t looking.

“I’m not scared, I'm just angry” she lied. “I am sick of this. How would anyone get a photo of us, Sidney?”

He examined the picture closely. “They must have followed us in Sanditon, and judging from our clothes and the lighting, it must have been taken as we were driving back from the resort to my place one evening. It would have to be someone who knew we were at the resort.”

“Do you think it's Eliza? Is she still obsessed with you?” Charlotte asked.

He exhaled. “Probably. Unless someone is actively following you from London and has been staking out the resort.”

“She’s got to be trying to keep me away from you. Don’t you think?”

“I’ve already made it abundantly clear there is no chance between us.” 

“Which is why she’s turned her efforts towards me,” she didn’t intend for that to sound accusatory, but it came out that way. “Do you still talk to her? How did she have my home address?”

“I’m a bit stumped by that too. I mean, she’s not clever. And no, I haven’t talked to her at all since I told her to stay away from you.” She didn't suspect Sidney. He certainly didn't have her home address. She wondered how she managed anonymity in London but couldn’t drive around without a stalker in a suburban beach town.

Sidney exhaled, frustrated. This was undoing the decision he made just hours ago about bringing her back with him, and he could sense in her tone she was slipping away. Suddenly he feared he was about to lose something he hadn’t realized he had been searching for. She could still come with him, but would she? 

“Sidney, I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I brought this to you.” She could feel her throat tighten. He turned her around to face him, and could see her eyes were glossy.

"Charlotte, you can come back with me. We can keep a low profile, and you can stay with me until this blows over."

"But Sidney, don't you think the point of that photo is to keep me away from you?"

"I'd prefer for us to make that decision on our own. Unless you're telling me..." he stammered, "...um, are you saying you made that decision before you saw that photo?"

"I hadn't made any decisions," she said flatly. Her tone wasn't exactly reassuring, and there was somethings else behind her words - doubt.

"You know there was something Lady Worcester mentioned when I was talking to her last night," Sidney said thoughtfully. "She said Evan's publicist is the one behind all the rumours online."

She looked away, and considered this piece of information. "That does not surprise me. Evan was always saying that negative publicity was still publicity. And that having a stalker meant you were relevant, or some such nonsense."

"So is it possible that the photo somehow originated from the publicist?"

She thought for a moment. Her face reflected an onset of awareness and conflict. "Someone wants me to know that they have seen me with you. And the implication is that you are vulnerable. Whatever it is they want, they know how to get to you." 

He scoffed. “You don’t need to worry about me. I have a lot of training.” His bravado did not make Charlotte laugh and instead, she forced a smile.

“I’m afraid I’ll need some coffee. Shall we grab some breakfast?” And with that, she walked away to wash up and dress, deep in thought.

Her sudden distance did not go unnoticed. Had she sensed his hesitation? Could she see he was weighing Charlotte against the Parker clan and the resort? He had no intention of going back on his word of keeping her safe, but suddenly it seemed like she didn’t have much interest in it.

Charlotte spent most of breakfast scrolling through social media posts, searching for any link to the photo. There was very little of Charlotte that didn’t involve Evan, and much of the chatter was over the drama from last night. Evan’s video stunt whipped up his fanbase and they were now imploring her for a reconciliation.

That, she recognized easily as the work of a publicist. Many of these posts were suspect, coming from accounts that didn’t have much history, and she knew fake accounts and fake Tweets were easily bought. It was a common strategy for celebrity publicists, though she avoided that tactic for her own clients.

Finally, in her direct messages, she found something. It included another photo of her and Sidney, on the beach, making out like their plane was going down. In a second attachment, there was a photo of her, with Mary, Jenny, Alicia and Henry. The text accompanying the photos: “ _Stay in London_.”

She looked up the profile of the sender and apparently, it had already been deactivated. Charlotte's face was frozen, and breath became shallow. How was she going to tell Sidney?

“Anything enlightening?” Sidney asked after a long period of silence.

She quickly closed the app, and opened something else. “The usual assortment of messages for and against the return of Shaywood.”

“Charlotte.”

“Hmm,” she said, not looking up.

“Charlotte? Would you set that down for a moment?”

She raised her eyes, which he noticed were darting around. “I’m sorry, I was being self-absorbed.”

“You can still come back to Sanditon, you know. Don’t let that picture keep you from doing what you want to do.”

He never would have said that if he knew about the two new photos, she thought. She smiled nervously, and looked out the window.

“Maybe. But now that I think about it, it’s got to be Eliza. But…” she looked at him knowingly, “I might be wrong, but she doesn’t have the means to really be a threat to me here in London. So I don’t think it should be a problem for me to just go home.”

He looked at her incredulously. “You’re not actually thinking of going back and staying there alone, are you?”

“What’s the worst case scenario? Eliza breaks into my flat? Come on. She doesn’t seem like she could figure out Google Maps to even get here.”

“That’s probably true, but even so, I don’t think we can dismiss that someone else knows where you live.”

She sighed. “So what are you proposing?”

“Just come back to Sanditon with me.”

“I can’t do that. I just got back to London after two weeks in Sanditon, and I’ve got work to catch up on.” She was grasping at anything. Theoretically, most of her meetings could be done remotely. She had no more site visits scheduled. But Sidney didn’t need to know that. She had to distance herself, as she had no desire for Sidney or any of the Parkers to find themselves in the cross hairs of the Evangelists.

As they returned to the hotel room, they were both silent. Sidney couldn’t seem to find a way in to Charlotte’s head. He tried touching her hand, her hair, her waist, but she gave virtually no reaction, and seemed almost resisting his overtures entirely. Back in the room, he tried once more.

“Charlotte, why aren’t you talking to me?”

She looked up, and she smiled but her eyes were sad. “I _am_ talking to you. I was just thinking.”

“You’ve been walled off all morning. What’s going on?”

Charlotte’s face fell, and she felt her throat tighten. “Sidney, I’m so sorry.”

“I told you, there is no reason to apologize.” 

She let out a long sigh. “I got this message earlier, when we were at breakfast.” She held out her phone to show him the direct message with the photos. Sidney’s eyes darkened, and his jaw tightened when he saw the image of his nieces and nephew. He silently handed the phone back to her, bit his lip and covered his face with one hand.

“Forgive me, I never thought this would spill over on to you, Sidney,” Charlotte’s eyes shined and the tears threatened to spill down her face.

He paced to the window and scowled.

"Someone wants you to stay out of Sanditon, and they’re holding me and my family as collateral," he said through clenched teeth. He was angry - understandably so - and he didn't look at her. 

She felt her breath leave her and her resistance crumbled. She cried, as the realization broke that she loved him, and that she'd have to give him up.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year, super awesome readers! Thank you for making 2020 tolerable! As I've said before, I can't imagine how I would have made it through the year had I not discovered Sanditon, fanfic, and that I actually enjoy writing fiction, which I never anticipated doing. I'm sorry if the last chapter was upsetting. Just a lil angst to send off 2020.

The muffled sound of Charlotte’s sob pulled Sidney’s attention back to her, but he was still seething. It took a moment to refocus, and he strode across the room to face her.

Shit, here it comes. She held her breath and tried to still her plummeting heart.

He had a stern look as he wiped her tears and gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Charlotte, I am furious. But please, I’m not angry at you, I'm not a prick,” he said, emphatically. She looked confused. “This is not your fault and you did nothing to deserve this. But god help the person who did.”

"So, you're not jumping in the escape pod?"

He laughed, "What? And miss all the action?" He then got a dark look of wicked delight that was a bit unnerving. "Oh I _very_ much look forward to addressing this threat. And this is very clearly a threat, Charlotte. Eliza has crossed the line."

What's going on here? He wasn't bailing out. What did that mean? He was still talking - something about training for years and keeping a cool head in the ring, or whatever - and all she could think about was how he became significantly more irresistible just now.

Fortunately, he misinterpreted her confused silence for apprehension. He gathered her in his arms, and held her tight against his chest. She rested her head against him, breathed deeply, and tried to stay away from inappropriate thoughts. She finally responded, “Sidney, I can’t risk anything happening those kids. They are completely innocent.”

“Nothing is going to happen to them,” he answered, firmly. “Eliza is atrocious, but she won’t get the better of us.”

She winced. “Sidney, if this was just directed at me, trust me, this would be all-out war. But I can’t do this to you. Or to your family. You need to be away from me.”

He pushed back and held her at arms length. “Oh, no, Charlotte. I just found you, and I’m not about to let you go.”

She felt pained by his statement, and couldn't deal with the guilt. “Sidney, please. Don’t say these things when you, your family, your business are on the line. You may want to do the brave and gallant thing and tell me this doesn’t affect things, but what happens when you have to make a choice between me and everything else? I mean, we haven't really talked about … whatever it is we're doing."

"And what is it you think we're doing?" he asked gently.

 _This_ conversation was happening _now_? There were too many emotions screaming for attention, and Charlotte knew she wouldn't make any sense if she tried to address their 'relationship.' She was silent. She couldn't say that she loved him. It would make it that much harder to not have him, when he decided in a day or a week, or a minute, that she was too difficult to be with. She looked down, for once grateful the constriction of her throat was preventing her from saying anything stupid.

"Charlotte?" he prompted, as he leaned forward. He knew there was so much she wasn't saying, but did she feel the way he felt? "Please talk to me. How do you feel about me?"

The tears streamed down her face, and softly, barely above a whisper, she answered. "I can't tell you. Because if I lose you, I won't be able to bear it."

He wiped her cheeks, and tipped her face up to look at him. "I told you we can have anything we want. This isn't going to make you lose me. Not this sad attempt to intimidate us. Nobody's going to hurt you. And nobody's scaring me off, Charlotte, because I love you."

She was astonished and overcome, and more tears started rolling down her face. She pulled him in to kiss those perfect lips that just said those perfect words, and before she accidentally swallowed him whole, she broke free and whispered back, "I love you, Sidney."

Whoops. That wasn't supposed to happen. Charlotte broke the vow she made screaming into the sky five years ago, that she would never love anyone again, and to her credit, she had a good run of being free of the entanglements and emotional turmoil brought on by men and relationships. But here she was, running face first in to the void, driven by a mad passion to follow a man who could light every part of her on fire and have her begging for gasoline. A man who treasured her and safeguarded her, for whom she was ready to do the same. A man who was looking back at her with that devastating smile, triggering thoughts of...

“You love me?” he answered, less of a question and more of a confirmation.

She mustered a smile through her tears, “Yes, and I’m pretty scared right now. Both because I have never felt this intense need to be with someone…” she pressed her lips together and tried to put together her next words with a steady voice, “but also because I have no idea how to keep you and your family safe from this drama."

He scoffed, and smiled, “Oh, the Parkers do not take attacks lying down.”

That Sidney was returning to Sanditon in a few hours was a huge bummer following the thrill of realizing their love for one another. That conversation naturally had to be punctuated by intense and fiery sex - this time actually involving the bed - which led to Sidney finally getting the Agent Provocateur display he'd been looking forward to. Thus leading to more intense and fiery sex - this time involving the desk, or dresser, or whatever it was that happened to be the right height for her to rest on, and for him to kneel before - which gave them very little time to gather their things to vacate the room.

They checked out of the hotel and went back to her flat. She was now a lot less apprehensive about returning to her place, knowing the culprit behind the photos. Yet the past couple of weeks of being with Sidney had become her new normal, and being without him felt unnatural.

Charlotte spent about an hour on the phone with her lawyer. By the end of their discussion, Alison was nearly as riled up as Sidney. They pieced together enough of the information for Alison to take over the discussion with the detectives, whom she felt would respond much more receptively to inquiries from Alison’s law firm. She also felt there was enough to file a legal complaint with the social media firms, to at least get them to cooperate in identifying the accountholders. The content from direct messages, emails, photos, the shoe prank, details about the mystery flowers — all that was pieced together, and Alison was armed with everything she needed. Charlotte’s responsibilities were to screenshot all the social media posts that could possibly be relevant.

Sidney and Charlotte also outlined a few other steps to take to keep Charlotte’s movements disguised. She would change her car for something less conspicuous. She’d conduct most of her meetings by phone or video conference. For the on-site visits, Clara or Esther would accompany her. Additionally, she would be sure to post carefully curated photos of London-based shops or street scenes to broadcast that she was not in Sanditon.

And as for Sidney, he had his own steps to take upon his return.

* * *

Evan sat outside at his familiar coffee shop, smoking, drinking a large coffee, waiting for Diana for the weekly check-in when his phone rang.

“Hello, Jane.”

“Evan, have you seen the activity on your posts? The Evangelists are on fire!”

“Oh goody,” Evan said disinterested. He was weary of her obsession with likes and retweets, and frankly, he was also weary of the Evangelists. Jane may have thought his presence at that the hotel party was a success, but Evan was irritated he hadn’t been able to really talk with Charlotte, or even secure any follow-up when they could speak naturally. And he hated that her rejection of him was so public.

“Do you want hear the numbers?”

“Not really.”

“Alright fine.” Jane was equally fed up with Evan. These celebrities were insufferable, but she gets paid well when the film studios are happy. “The producer emailed me and said you’re creating such interest in the film that they are going to start doing early promos. So to keep the fandom happy, I instructed Lisa to post twice a day.”

“Yay?” Evan really hated being bothered with the minutiae.

Jane really hated Evan’s condescension. “That means she’s going to need fresh material soon.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Well, I assume you aren’t back with Charlotte?”

“You assume correctly. And if I can even get her to engage in a conversation with me, I’ll be sure to have someone take a picture of us.” He sighed.

“Ok, ok. I wasn’t sure if anything had changed. In that case, get your trainer to take pictures of you at the gym.” Evan thought how well that would go, and just envisioned Kat laughing maniacally at him and posting something humiliating as incentive to work harder.

“I’ll see if I can take a selfie.”

“That’s even better.”

“Did you manage to find a way to shut down that video of Charlotte storming off?” he asked.

“Uh, yes,” Jane said, hesitantly. “But the video’s been retweeted and reposted so many times that we can’t do much to take it down.” That was unfortunate. He was still trying to find an angle to make amends to her, and having the added pressure of the fandom freaking out about a possible reconciliation was not helpful.

“So apart from taking a few selfies, is there anything else you need from me?”

“Yes, I’m going to send over a list of upcoming events. Let me know which ones you want to attend.”

At that moment, Diana walked into the shop and waved.

“Jane, gotta go. I’ll get back to you later with the list. Cheers.” In contrast to Jane, Diana was someone Evan _did_ want to talk to. He needed help getting to Charlotte, and as his sober coach, she was the perfect candidate to help out. He smiled warmly and stood to embrace her.

Diana was happy he was in a good mood, but the hug was unusual. “So what’s got you in such spirits?”

“Diana, I’m just glad to have someone like you in my life. You are one of the few people who are truly supporting my sobriety.”

“So you saw her and talked to her, I gather,” Diana said.

He pursed his lips. “Yes, but she didn’t want to talk.”

“It’s ok. You don’t need to rush it.”

“No,” he took a long drag from his cigarette before extinguishing it. “But I think I realized something.”

“What is that?”

“I think she really belongs in my life.”

“And why do you think that?”

“As soon as I started trying to make amends to her, the winds really changed in my favor. I'm getting so much more attention now, and if I’m to believe my publicist, I’m single-handedly raising interest in the movie.”

“That’s fantastic, Evan!” Diana smiled knowingly. “I told you. When you start to repair the bridges you burned, everything comes rushing back into your life. Keep trying, Evan. You haven't reached the end of your journey yet.” She didn't want to dissuade him from his feelings for Charlotte, given that she didn't know her or know what their past had been like. But she saw how Evan had lit up when he spoke of her and how driven he had been since he decided to make amends to her. Even if she wasn't his sobriety coach, she couldn't take that hope away from any person.

“I’m really proud of you,” she said, smiling. Given that his entire family was estranged, there was almost no one now who would be proud of him, and he could feel the emotion welling in his chest.

“Thank you, Diana. I don’t think you realize how much that means to me.”

She smiled. "Of course, Evan. I'm here to support you and keep you on the path you want to follow."

* * *

_"Dolphins panicking."_

Charlotte had turned on Netflix as she tried to find something in her pantry for dinner. Sir David was probably going to be her constant companion in this time without Sidney.

She glanced at the tv to see what was freaking the dolphins out so badly. The ocean was boiling with thousands of them, leaping into the air, their urgency palpable.

" _They're being hunted by killer whales."_

Charlotte never understood why people liked killer whales. They always seemed like the assholes of the ocean to her - bullies who tormented their prey and played with their corpses for sport. It didn't surprise her that they were hunting dolphins, who seemed much more clever and good-natured.

" _Dolphins are faster in short bursts. But their hunters have stamina."_ Go dolphins. Get away from those whale bitches.

" _Just as the killer whales close in, the dolphins make a sudden turn to evade their predators."_ Ha! That's what happens when the prey is smarter than the predator. 

_"The dolphins manage to elude capture and outwit the whales with agility and skill. They are safe for now."_

Charlotte's phone buzzed. 

Sidney: _I don’t like this at all_

Charlotte: _Being back in Sanditon?_

Sidney: _No. Being without you._

Charlotte: _I can’t even remember what things were like here by myself. This is achingly boring._

Sidney: _So London doesn’t seem to have all the distractions you claim it does?_

Charlotte: _After the past couple of weeks, I only want the one distraction, and you’re right. He’s no longer in London._ 😛

Sidney: _Maybe I can come back after my last meeting on Thursday._

Charlotte: _I'd love that but I don't want you to risk anything._

Sidney: _I know. Because you have a conscience. You are sweet to think of my family._

Charlotte: _Have you spoken to Tom and Mary yet?_

Sidney: _Yes, and they are briefed. I told you, the Parkers will rally against any threats._

Charlotte: _I have no doubt._

Sidney: _My flat now seems a lot more sterile after having been away._

Charlotte: _Mine seems like it needs another person in it. And I can’t go into my closet without the back of my neck tingling._

Sidney: _Hm… only the back of your neck?_

Charlotte: _Well… no_ 😏 _I’m not really sure I can go in there again without getting completely distracted_

Sidney: _I wasn't able to._

Charlotte: 💋

Sidney: _Time to switch to video?_

Charlotte: 

Sidney: _That makes me very conflicted about cats and cartoons._

Charlotte: _Hang on, I'll ping you when wardrobe and props are ready._

Sidney: _Props... I like where this is going._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dolphin scene is from the "High Seas" episode of Our Planet on Netflix. To be fair, these are "false" killer whales that are chasing the dolphins, but I still think killer whales are jerks.  
> https://youtu.be/9FqwhW0B3tY


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, super Sanditon fans and readers! I must have rewritten this chapter like 10 times because I was mad at it. But then I got some lovely encouragement from @kapi1619 and got over myself. Hahaha, thank you Kapi! 😁  
> Hope it works. It's fan fiction, not the next Booker Prize 🤣

Yoga class was rough. Charlotte wanted to get the class over with as soon as possible, so she willed herself to show up at a 6 am hot yoga class in a massive studio across town. She specifically chose a new location to mix up her schedule, and throw off anyone who may be paying attention.

It had been a while since she’d been to a yoga class, and it was brutal getting back into it, but the muscle exhaustion felt good. She would need to work on her endurance and strength to keep up with Sidney’s athleticism. She felt her heart race a bit faster just thinking about the thrill of being with him.

A familiar alert sounded from her phone as she exited the studio. As an adult woman, Charlotte probably should have been a bit less giddy each time she got a text from Sidney. She probably spent a little too much time picking out a specific ring tone for him. And definitely spent way too much time picking out what to wear for their FaceTime calls.

She looked at her phone and smirked, eyebrows raised. Damn. Sidney in a shirtless selfie. Suddenly hot yoga seemed positively tepid.

Charlotte: _Wow, you don’t play fair, do you?_

Sidney: 😛

It had only been a week since Sidney left London, but that was a long time in the lifespan of Sidney and Charlotte. To anyone else, it would seem their relationship escalated quickly, but for Sidney it felt she’d always been there - maybe just as an idea or promise to himself, but he had been carrying her in his heart for a long time. He missed the intimacy, naturally, but her conversation, her wit, her defiance, and that irrestible dimpled smile she would get when he could make her laugh.

Charlotte: _Like I don’t miss you enough as it is_

Sidney: _You miss me?_

Charlotte: _So much_

Sidney: _I miss you too. I should have asked before sending._

Charlotte: _No, you can go ahead and send those any time you want. You have carte blanche. Plus, it wasn’t like it was an unsolicited dick pic from a strange guy._

Sidney: _Oh, good, I’m glad you don’t think I’m strange. But don’t worry, I won’t send any unsolicited dick pics._

Charlotte: _Ok, I won’t send dick pics either._

Sidney: 😨 _Please don’t tell me you have any in your phone from other guys._

Charlotte: 

Charlotte: _F_ _or like blackmailing?_

Sidney: _For anything_

Charlotte: _I’m not a politician, nor am I a vengeful ex, so no._

Sidney: _I don’t either._

Sidney: _So… feel free to send a selfie back_ 😏

Charlotte: _LOL I can’t. I just left yoga._

Sidney: _Charlotte, I thought you were going to keep a low profile. You need to be careful._

Charlotte: _I am. I took an early class in another part of town, and the studio is very crowded._

Sidney: _I still wish you would consider going back to the hotel._

Charlotte: _I’ll be alright._

Sidney was not convinced, and, from the moment he left, he had struggled with leaving her in London by herself. But they decided he would go back to Sanditon and initiate the disinformation campaign.

The strategy was to keep up the appearance of Charlotte and Sidney being uninvolved, until Alison could pull some legal maneuver to shut Eliza down. Unfortunately, that was going to take more time than they had expected. The social media companies were cooperating, but only once Alison brought in her cyber crime specialist friend. So until they had a word from Alison, they needed Eliza to believe there was no relationship between Charlotte and Sidney, and Sidney felt that was easy enough to conceal in order to buy Alison more time.

The difficulty was going to be keeping those around him on message. Tom couldn’t be trusted with any sensitive information. He had a mind like a sieve and mouth to match. Arthur as well. But that also worked in Sidney’s favor.

“Arthur, how’s the orchid tunnel coming along?” Sidney asked casually one day in their daily management meeting.

Arthur sighed. “Dreadful. I can’t source enough of the right flora I want for the launch. Oh, I had to engage Eliza’s shop because there just simply aren’t enough local florists to work with. I know we’re trying to avoid…”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. She won’t be a problem since Charlotte’s not going to be around.”

Arthur looked at him suspiciously. “What do you mean, Charlotte’s not going to be around?”

“There’s no reason for her to be here. Her engagement is complete.”

Arthur glared. “Sidney. Fucking. Parker. What did you do?! How did you manage to screw things up _so_ quickly?!”

Sidney gave a small laugh. “Oh, you know me.”

“I thought everything went well in London! Oh, I am shook! Does Tom know? Does Mary know?”

“Steady on, Arthur. Everything’s ok.” Sidney hated deceiving Arthur, so he worded his response carefully. “But she’s got her life in London.”

He stared at Sidney with narrowed eyes. “You started quoting ancient Greek philosophers, didn’t you? Oh! No, I bet you tried to pick a fight over ethics, or something esoteric. You can’t do things like that, Sidney! That’s so pretentious!”

Sidney scowled. “Ok, ok… Like I said, she has her life in London and she is not here. This is not a secret. Tom and Mary are aware. And Eliza will have no one to harass now, so feel free to work with her.”

The only of the Parkers that knew the full truth was Mary, and she was highly invested in their scheme. When she had learned pictures of the children were used in pressuring Charlotte to stay in London, she was livid - and unforgiving. Sidney felt between himself and Mary, they had the misinformation covered.

As for Frank and Will, Sidney didn’t like it, but he was going to have to keep it a secret from them as well. Pretending that he and Charlotte were no longer together was, much to Sidney’s disappointment, quite believable.

“So she lost interest?” Will looked at him puzzled.

“Well, is it really that much of a surprise?" Frank answered. "I mean, she’s in London, she’s got this jet set social scene and she’s accustomed to the company of celebrities. It’s not like you could really compete with that, Sidney.”

“Gosh. I suppose you are right. I was in too deep,” Sidney suppressed a snarky comment.

As per the expected behavior of the locals, Sidney, Frank and Will were relaxing after their class at the pub. And as expected, Eliza and Zara sashayed in. Without visiting Londoners, they were smug in their knowledge of being the alpha females of the pub scene. And secure in knowing where she stood in the social rankings, Eliza felt pretty sure of herself as she slid up to Sidney’s table and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sidney knew immediately from her expression that the word about Charlotte had gotten to her.

“Sidney…” she purred. He knew exactly how this would unfold, and fully expected Eliza’s approach.

“Hello Eliza.”

“How are you, babes? It seems like things are settling back into their normal order of things.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a Friday, the normal crew is all here. There are no interfering parties.”

He looked up at her, and held steady a faint smile. Frank and Will glanced over and grew silent.

“Interfering parties?”

“You know, out-of-town guests,” she clarified.

“Oh.” Sidney tried to remain expressionless.

“Yes, I guess that is normal, for Sanditon.”

Eliza squeezed herself in between Sidney and Frank, and they both gave her a wide berth. “I heard you were in London for some hotel party. Must have been a scene. Can’t imagine you in that, erm, swish crowd.”

Sidney cringed. She sounded like someone’s drunk uncle.

“I rather enjoy London now. Didn’t used to.” He turned to speak directly to Eliza, to make sure she understood. “But I don’t have much reason to go lately.”

One side of her mouth curled up into a smile. “Oh no? Things didn’t work out there?”

He paused, and tried to smile. “There was nothing to work out.”

She put her hand on to his arm. “You know… those consultants don’t know how things really work, do they?” Eliza tilted her head and looked Sidney up and down.

“Maybe not.”

She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Maybe we should get out of here and find a quiet place to catch up.”

He tried not to flinch. “You know, I was just in the middle of something here.” Frank was about to interject something, but Will kicked him under the table. Eliza didn’t take the hint.

“I could wait.”

“But you shouldn’t.” Sidney forced a weak smile. “Have a good night.”

“Goodnight, Eliza. See you around,” Frank chimed in, eager to reclaim his space.

Reluctantly she stood, begrudgingly smiled at Will and Frank, and turned back to Sidney. “You can text me, you know,” and ran her hand down his back.

It took all his will to not recoil in response, and when she was far enough away, he gulped down the rest of his beer.

“Bloody hell, what was that all about?” Frank exclaimed.

Sidney exhaled and facepalmed. Disinformation was dirty and stressful work. Will leaned in, with a look of complete confusion.

“Don’t tell me you want to rebound with Candy Floss?” Will asked.

“Dear lord, Babbers, no!”

“Then what gives, Parker? She almost ate you alive, and you nearly let her!” Will was not going to let this go. “Something’s not adding up here. And come to think of it, you seem awfully indifferent about breaking up with Charlotte. What really happened in London?”

“Whoa, keep your voice down, Babbers.”

“So something _is_ going on then,” Frank now was also leaning in.

Sidney hesitated, and then said, “Let’s get another round, and I’ll explain.”

At the back of the pub, Eliza stewed with Zara.

“What am I doing wrong? Is my makeup off? Does this dress make me look fat?” she seethed.

Zara resisted an eye roll. “Maybe he needs a little cool down time. I’m sure he’ll come around at some point.”

Eliza gritted her teeth. “He can’t still be pining after Whorewood. I just don’t see the appeal in her.”

Zara’s expression darkened. “Yeah, I never understood it either. Out of all the women he could have, why her?”

Eliza looked puzzled. “Well, it’s not like Sanditon is the Playboy mansion with women crawling all over the place.”

“Oh, actually I was thinking of Evan. Why does he still carry a torch for her after all these years? You know, he posted another pic from that London party of them.”

“So they got back together? Then why is Sidney not responding to me?”

“I guess that’s why Evan never responded to my DM.” Zara wasn’t really paying attention to Eliza, and didn’t immediately answer her question. After some thought, she replied “I don’t think they’re back together, otherwise there’d be more recent photos. That’s probably why Sidney isn’t responding - he’s still with Charlotte.” Zara exhaled, somewhat relieved.

“Well. I have more photos we can use,” Eliza said angrily.

“Send them to me. Maybe I can do something with them.”

* * *

Evan’s assistant Lisa was reviewing the engagement numbers on Evan’s social media accounts, and as she went through each, she saw a lot of the same names posting comments after each photo. EvangelistSupreme was one of Evan’s long-time fans. According to Evan, this one had been following him for years and almost always reacted to each post across all platforms.

Lisa grimaced at some of the thirst tweets, and swore to herself if she ever became this obsessed with anyone (celebrity or otherwise), she’d kick her own ass.

EvangelistSupreme @evangelistsupreme777  
 _@EvanShay, these latest gym selfies are so hot! I am constantly in awe of how beautiful you are! God, to be reincarnated as that towel! #HotForEvan_

EvangelistSupreme @evangelistsupreme777  
 _@EvanShay, I ❤ you so much! Marry me! #HotForEvan_

Recently though, EvangelistSupreme had upped her tactics (or his, Lisa had to remind herself), as Jane started fanning the rumours of a return of Shaywood.

EvangelistSupreme @evangelistsupreme777  
 _No!!! Evan, whyyyyy! Stay away from Whorewood! #NeverShaywood #HotForEvan_

EvanglistSupreme @evangelistsupreme777  
 _Charlotte Heywood needs to go away already! Stay away from Evan! #NeverShaywood #HotForEvan_

“Jane’s really gone nuclear on the tweets, hasn’t she?” Lisa asked one day at her daily morning check-in with Evan.

“Has she? I kind of told her to do whatever she wants because I cannot stand listening to her prattle on about hashtags and retweets.”

“But you know she’s been telling me to post everything I have of you and Charlotte from that night. It’s causing the fandom to completely blow up. I seriously think we should also include some language with each post against self-harm.”

"That dire? What is wrong with people?" Evan made a face of discomfort. "Well, we can’t have fans dying. At least not before the movie's released.” He tried to lighten the mood, but it came across as callous.

"Sorry, that sounded terrible. I'm not that horrible," he tried to explain. Lisa gave him a blank look, and thought about whether she'd met her daily limit for narcissism.

"So should I keep posting these photos of you and Charlotte? It's really whipping the Evangelists into a frenzy."

Evan shrugged. "I don't know... Charlotte's attorney was threatening something, but she can't stop us from posting things from the public domain. Keep them whipped up and engaged. The studio seems to like that a lot."

"The party pics are getting stale. I need new material. Are you going to see her soon?"

"Charlotte?" he frowned. "I'm not sure she'll see me again." He'd been going over and over how he could get her to engage, and nothing sounded like it would work. 

"What if you go to her?"

"I tried that at the party. She accused me of ambushing her."

"Maybe there could be a way you could reconnect in a less public setting," Lisa said thoughtfully. "Do you know where she's working these days?"

He thought back. "There was a direct message recently from someone in Sandhurst? Sandwich? Sandringham? See if you can get any information about that."

Lisa quickly got to work, and it didn't take long for her to find that message from Zara. She mentioned a place called Sanditon, which Lisa had never heard of. But a quick search found a small town which was the location of the Sanditon Spa and Resort. Another quick search found the photo of Charlotte at the Sanditon Flower Show.

Seemed like this Zara person was legit. 


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Who else is holding their breath this week for an announcement from RPP?? I'd much rather pay attention to that news than the actual news about politics and the pandemic.
> 
> Thank you all for being such incredibly supportive readers. Your comments give me incentive to write, as well as a lifeline to others. Los Angeles continues to be a hot zone, so I never go anywhere. Thank you again for reading, and hope everyone is healthy and safe!

While Eliza left the pub fuming at Sidney’s very public disinterest, Zara was lost in thought. She looked through the photos in the folder that Eliza forwarded to her. She knew exactly which ones would push the Evangelists buttons, because they were definitely pushing hers.

As she was scrolling through, she saw an alert that Evan had posted an image on Instagram. This time, it was just a picture of Charlotte on stage from the same party. The caption: “Strength” 

What the hell does that mean? Zara held out the picture for Eliza to see. 

“He's posting pictures just of Charlotte now??" Zara was incensed.

“Good. She can stay in London, and be with Evan,” Eliza sniffed. 

“No! She cannot go back to Evan!” Zara was agitated.

“Look, I don’t care what she does. She needs to get the fuck away from Sidney.”

  
It seemed everyone online also had the same response as Zara. Within minutes there was a litany of comments. The Evangelist forums were all posing the same question — Is Shaywood back??

* * *

In their nightly video chat, Sidney could tell something was bothering Charlotte. 

"Tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t like this plan. I want to see you.”

“I want to see you too. Any word from the lawyer?”

“No. This sucks.”

“I saw Eliza. I think she believed that you and I aren’t together.”

“That should make me feel better. But I don’t,” Charlotte answered. This news instantly made her feel jealous and suspicious. Where? Why? Who else was there? What did they talk about? Why’d they talk about her? How long were they together? But she didn’t want to give in to those feelings and said nothing.

“If you were wondering, I was with Frank and Will, and she came up to us at the pub. She tried to get me to go out with her but I deflected. It was extremely brief, and I don’t think she was very pleased about being rejected in front of others.”

Weird. How’d he know she was thinking that?

“I can tell you’re bothered by that,” he added. Uncanny. “You don’t need to say anything. I know you well enough now, and I can practically read your thoughts on your expression.” 

She couldn’t deny it, and smiled meekly. 

“I can’t help it. I miss you and admittedly, I’m jealous that your ex-girlfriend was hitting on you.” 

Sidney didn’t say out loud that he found that incredibly endearing for fear it would sound condescending, but she was being adorable, and he found himself wanting to reach out and wrap her in his body. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she said, frowning slightly and unaware of her slight pout.

He finally laughed. “You’re killing me. Stop pouting already! You have nothing to be jealous of. There is no way Eliza will have any of my attention.” 

It was hardly a comfort, from the other end of a video chat being several hours away. 

* * *

@Zaraaamichaels  
 _@EvanShay, you keep getting better and better! I hope you aren’t looking backward. If you’re thinking of bringing Charlotte back, I think you’d be interested in what’s she’s been doing_

Attached was a picture of Charlotte and Sidney in some very public display of affection on the beach. Evan recognized this guy, and his insides clenched. He was the one who was escorting her away from the hotel party.

@EvanShay  
 _@Zaraaamichaels When was this taken? Do you know this guy?_

Zara nearly exploded. Evan Bloody Shay was responding directly to her! She started hyperventilating. There was so much that needed to be done, and whatever Eliza’s agenda was with Sidney, this was her chance to save Evan from a disastrous decision to go back to Charlotte.

* * *

Early Saturday morning, Charlotte woke to her phone buzzing. 

Sidney: _Good morning_

Sidney: _I couldn’t sleep. Are you up?_

She smiled and rolled over, instantly awake and excited to start her day with messages from him.

Charlotte: _I am now. It’s lonely here._

She snapped a selfie of her head on her pillow, with an empty pillow next to her, and sent it to him. 

Sidney: _Keep that spot warm for me?_

Charlotte: _Reserved for you_

Sidney: _Perfect. I saw another murmuration of starlings this morning._

She sighed, and she longed to be back on the clifftops along the beach, watching the birds against the sunrise with him. 

Charlotte: _Oh, how beautiful. I wish I could have seen that with you. Yesterday, I saw a gaggle of bankers._

Sidney: 😂

Charlotte: _Not quite the same allure_

Charlotte continued chatting with Sidney as she rose and started her coffee. She sat against her window watching the sky lighten as she sipped her coffee and exchanged texts with Sidney. Before she realized it, the sky was bright and the sunlight was no longer casting long shadows on the street below. She checked the time.

Charlotte: _We’ve been chatting for an hour and half!_

Sidney: _Have we? I guess I can’t tell the passage of time when I’m talking with you._ 😛

Charlotte: _You don’t need to feed me lines. I’m already a convert._

Sidney: _It’s true though. I’ve missed my morning run._

Charlotte: _Oh, I didn’t mean to keep you from your constitutional._

Sidney: _Hm. This was more fun, and more important._

At that moment, Charlotte heard a knock on her door. What the hell?

Charlotte: _Someone’s at the door._

Sidney: _What? Who would be knocking on a Saturday morning?_

Charlotte: _Should I ignore it?_

Sidney: _Turn on your camera and answer it. If anything happens, I’ll be able to see from here._

Charlotte: _You think so? I could just ignore it._

Sidney: _You don’t need to be afraid. Just turn on your camera._

She rested her phone against her mug on the table, and turned on her camera. 

“Ok, are you there?” she whispered. The image coming from him was black.

“Mhmm.”

“I can’t see you.”

“That’s ok, I can see you.”

Again, there was a knock. She crept silently to the door, and peered through the peephole. She gasped, and threw open the door.

Sidney stood before her, smiling sheepishly with a bouquet of flowers and small pastry box. She jumped up and threw her arms around him, wordless and barely able to stop from crying.

“Good morning, Charlotte. I hope you haven’t had breakfast yet. I wanted to wake you with coffee, but I couldn’t get here earlier.”

After finally relaxing her grip from around his neck, she covered his face in kisses and stepped back. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she asked, as he placed his things on her table. 

“That’s not how surprises work.”

“I thought you had plans for this weekend?”

“I do! This is the weekend of Sir David Attenborough’s lecture. Or did you forget?”

“I most certainly did not forget. I had just assumed Operation Stay-Away-From-Sidney made it impossible.”

“Well, no one said _I_ had to stay away from _London_.”

“So I get to have you with me this weekend, AND we’re going to see Sir David??” The events were now dawning on her, and she couldn’t stop herself from crying. She jumped in his arms again, relishing the closeness and the warmth, drinking in his scent of clean laundry and soap. 

“I can’t tell you how much better everything is now,” she sighed into his chest.

“Yes,” he replied, feeling her hair against his cheek. “The way it should be.”

* * *

The fundraiser was a semi-formal affair held in one of the lecture halls within the Museum of Natural History. It was well past the close of the museum and security guards and docents were trying to usher visitors out to clear the main hall for the reception to follow Sir David’s lecture.

Every seat was taken in the lecture hall. Charlotte sat with rapt attention as officials from the museum and various wildlife organizations gave their own introductions. The lights dimmed, as a compilation of Attenborough’s works were projected on the massive screen. 

The dramatic orchestral soundtrack jolted the audience into attention, as scenes from sixty years of nature documentaries flashed on screen, showing a young Attenborough in khakis through to his more recent appearances.

_“Wild ass… the males are fighting for territories more likely to attract a herd of females…”_

_“Sea horses baffled early naturalists. Their breeding habits were unbelievable. The male carrying the eggs to birth…”_

_“The three-toed pygmy sloth…”_

Sidney grinned to himself. He loved that guy. “Have you seen all these?” Sidney leaned over and whispered in her ear. 

“Not all. I don’t recognize some of the older ones.” She did recognize the final clip - walruses climbing a cliff to find a spot to relax, only to tumble to the deaths as they try to come down. This scene always brought Charlotte to tears, and she buried her face into Sidney’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her close. 

Finally, the nonagenarian took the stage, remarkably spry for someone so advanced in years. His white hair was lit up against the large screen that was still cycling through images from his latest series. Attenborough’s distinct and distinguished inflection drew the audience in, as he covered some of the current challenges the planet was facing as global warming impacted every land mass, every ecosystem, every species. Sidney glanced over at Charlotte, whose brow was furrowed in concentration and worry. Again, he couldn’t help but find her expression endearing and adorable, and scoffed at the notion of her being jealous of Eliza. 

When Sir David completed his lecture, the room jumped to their feet and burst into applause. As the crowd transitioned into the reception area for refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, Charlotte insisted on trying to get a question in to Sir David in person. 

“I can’t not try, Sidney. Do you mind?” she pleaded.

“Since when do you need my permission?" he said, giving her that slightly crooked smile. She forgot what she was asking. "Why don’t I try to get us a drink? I’ll join you in a moment.”

Oh, right. Sir David. She rushed the stage and stood in the crowd waiting for autographs and handshakes. 

Sidney looked around, trying to find the bar, and noticed a swarm of people around one lonely bartender. Instead of waiting in the crowd, he took a seat at one of the tables to wait.

“Sidney Parker! What are you doing sitting at that table when _I_ have a perfectly good lap right here?” 

Sidney looked up. And continued to arch his head back.

“Lady Worcester,” he could not help grinning. Even at this fundraiser, she was in full Lady Worcester regalia - massive hair, massive heels, shiny dress, and a tiara - perhaps the only non-princess who could pull off a tiara. “What a surprise. Thank you for remembering me.”

“As if I could forget a cute face like that.”

“I would not have expected to see you at a David Attenborough lecture.”

“I’m not sure why you would say that. I’m all about things that are natural. And also, that man is a national treasure.” She looked off into Sir David’s direction. “I see you are here with Miss Charlotte Heywood?”

“I am.” He smiled.

“And does Miss Heywood know that you love her?”

He looked down and blushed. “Yes. She does.”

“And I assume she has now told you she loves you?”

“Erm… yes." He clammed up, not knowing why he was opening up to a stranger.

“I told you she loves you. I am never wrong when it comes to matters of the heart.” Lady Worcester looked at him knowingly, but then squinted at him. “What are you holding back, Mr. Parker?”

At that moment, someone approached and asked for a selfie with her, which she obliged, and then gestured for Sidney to join them. 

“Oh, no, please,” he answered too insistently and stepped far back.

When the selfie seeker was gone, Lady Worcester pursed her lips and said, “I know a handsome young man like you can’t be camera shy. Are you embarrassed to be seen with me, Mr. Parker?”

He laughed. “Oh, it’s not that at all. The last time I saw you, someone took a picture of you and I would up on some celebrity news site. I can’t afford to be photographed like that again.”

She looked intrigued. “Oh, really? Are you hiding out from the mob? Do you owe a lot of money to your dealer? Are you cheating on someone with Charlotte?”

“What?! No! None of those things.”

“Oh!” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Is it Evan? Is he after you? He’s pulling out all the stops now that his career is picking up.”

“Uh, I don’t know about Evan…” he stammered.

“You can tell Lady Worcester. I know everybody in this business, Mr. Parker. And everybody. Knows. Me.

He sighed. “Someone is stalking Charlotte. I think it’s someone I used to date years ago - Eliza - and she’s been sending surveillance pictures of me and Charlotte to Charlotte’s house, warning her to stay in London.”

She gasped. “Evil witch!”

“Yes, exactly! So I’m just trying not to be photographed. That’s all.”

“That sounds incredibly stressful.”

He rolled his eyes. “It IS. I am not good at trying to be deceitful.”

“Now, that might be the first time I’ve ever heard that from a man.” She paused, winked, and they both laughed.

"And you said her name is Eliza...?"

"Campion, but it doesn't matter. You wouldn't know her. She's in Sanditon - my home town. Anyhow, she'll get her comeuppance."

Lady Worcester looked at him admiringly. “I’m starting to think you’re a national treasure as well, Mr. Parker.”

“I hope you’ll put a good word for me, then,” he grinned. He looked at back at Charlotte who looked like she was talking poor Sir David’s ear off.

“I think I better go rescue Sir David from a fan girl. Lady Worcester, it was lovely to see you again. Have a wonderful night.”

“See you again, Sidney Parker.” She watched him join Charlotte, stood respectfully next to her, and before long, the three of them seemed deeply engaged in conversation.

Lady Worcester got a mischievous look on her face, took out her phone, and immediately began texting.


	27. Chapter 27

Riding high from her encounter with Sir David, Charlotte floated through the rest of the night, her eyes wide and beaming, and Sidney couldn’t find her more alluring. 

She looked absolutely stunning, naturally. Sidney didn’t understand how that one-shouldered velvet jumpsuit that looked like it was part of a magician’s costume could look so stylish and sexy. Yet she made it so, and he could see why she had been a paparazzi favourite. She wore minimal jewelry apart from a large pale blue cocktail ring, but in her hair, she wore one of the flowers from his bouquet, and nothing could have looked more beautiful on her.

By the time they left the museum, Charlotte’s shoes were cutting into her feet, and she winced when she walked. She finally stopped to take off her shoes, and sat on a low wall.

“Let me carry you,” Sidney asked. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll be fine, I just want to rest my feet.”

Sidney sat down next to her, and pulled her feet up into his lap, and began to massage them.

“Does this hurt?”

She inhaled deeply, looked skyward and grinned. 

“I don’t feel anything but euphoria right now,” she sighed.

Sidney laughed. “My talents are many and highly developed.”

“Mmm. They sure are,” she moaned. “This is probably the best night of my life.”

“Wow, you really are a hard core fan.”

“The lecture was just a minor contributor, you know.” She brought her feet back down, and moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his. “Thank you, Sidney. You made this the best night of my life.”

“And every night I spend with you feels like the best night of _my_ life.”

In a swift move, he scooped her up into his arms. She inadvertently let out a yelp, but then quickly nestled into his neck. A light drizzle started to fall, and Sidney picked up the pace. The rain intensified, and Sidney began to jog, until they found shelter in a doorway.

“You’re drenched!” she said as he set her down. 

“So are you, and your clothes might be ruined. I’m so sorry,” he responded breathlessly.

“Nothing is ruined,” she laughed, looking up at him. In fact, in that moment, maybe everything was healed. They found their way back to the car, and returned to Charlotte’s flat, chilled but elated.

They left their clothes in a wet pile at the door, and Charlotte ran to get towels, her teeth nearly chattering she was shivering so intensely. When she returned, he took one of the towels, unfolded it and wrapped it around her. He took the other and began to dry her hair. 

"Aren't you cold?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"No, I like the cold, you remember." In fact, he was completely unbothered standing there damp with nothing on, and that quickly turned her around from shivering cold to fired up. 

He bent his head down to kiss her cheek and then her mouth, and then bent down further to kiss the side of her neck and shoulder. She closed her eyes and rolled head back, her breath quickening as she felt torn between oversensitivity and full-on arousal. He could sense she wanted to rush, so he took her in his arms and tightened his embrace.

As he had earlier, he picked her up and carried her, laid her on the bed, and continued to kiss her neck. He paused at the hollow between her clavicles, and gently touched his finger there. There was a name for that spot - the On button, no, wait that was elsewhere, or was that the Eject button? - and as he stroked it, she could feel his touch throughout her body like electricity. She writhed underneath him. 

"No, slow down, Charlotte," he whispered. "We have all night."

"But you're driving me wild," she growled. 

"Mmm," he mumbled into her neck. "If this is going to best night of your life, there is a lot more to come."

She was delirious. She melted. And when he opened her towel so she could feel his warm, moist skin on hers and his massive arousal pressing against her, her heart was racing and she was completely wet to his touch, silk on his tongue. The rain pelted the window while Sidney tortured her for what seemed like hours, until she was trembling and pleading for him. When he let her have him, she became dizzy from the repeated force of impact, and hoarse from crying out. The patter of the rain grew louder, and Charlotte felt everything in the downpour. There was lightning - there were certainly flashes - or that may have been the electrical storm in her mind, blinding her from the inside out. 

The next morning, Sidney woke before Charlotte and made coffee. He brought two mugs and sat them on her nightstand. He sat next to her and gently moved her hair aside and kissed her. She stirred awake, startled, and then sighed when she realized she was waking up to Sidney’s endearingly scruffy smile. 

“Good morning, Charlotte.”

“Mmmm. Did you really make me coffee? And bring it to me in bed?”

“Yes, it was quite simple. I figured it out on my own.” 

She rolled on to her side, and let out a contented sigh. 

“Thank you, Sidney. This is perfect.”

She pulled him down to lie on top of her. 

“Charlotte, I think you should come back with me. I don’t like you being…”

“Ok.”

“… Ok? I thought you would push back, you know, because you prefer being in the city.”

She sat up. “I prefer to be with _you_. I just don’t want anything to happen to your family.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to them. I won’t let it and I won’t let us get bullied. Come back with me. We’ll figure it out.”

She hesitated. 

“You’ll be coming back for the relaunch, won't you?”

“Yes, but that’s…”

“Stay with me until then.”

Work could be changed. Life could be changed. Sidney was asking her to stay with him and there was no way she was saying no. 

She smiled at him as she sipped her coffee. “Help me pack?”

“I already did.” He smirked at her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve packed all your knickers. Did you need anything else?” 

She laughed. “Nah… what else could anyone need?”

* * *

Beep.

“Hi Charlotte! Look at me! I’m the first one on the call!” Arthur was calling in from the resort kitchen, where it looked like he was prepping for the lunch crowd. In the background, she could see workers carting away pots of flowers - evidently changing out the flowers in the orchid tunnel.

Time for the weekly check-in with the Parkers. This was going to be fairly weird. Charlotte set up her laptop in Sidney’s kitchen and was working remotely. The WiFi was slow, but seemed to be working at the moment. None of her clients seemed to mind the change to video conferencing, but she would have to figure out how she was going to handle the on-sites scheduled in a couple of days.

“Hey Arthur!”

“Wait, where are you, Charlotte?”

“Oh, I just used one of the fake video conference backgrounds to make it look like I’m on holiday at an exotic beach. Is it convincing?”

“Well, I do wonder why you’re wearing a turtleneck jumper on a tropical beach, so I guess it’s not that convincing,” he laughed.

“I’m trying to avoid a sunburn, naturally!” she laughed with him. “You’re looking well! How are the renovations going? Things should be nearly done with the restaurant, right?”

“Yes! I think the final walkthrough is the end of the week.”

“Are you happy with it?” 

“Oh my god, it’s phenomenal and we’ve received so many compliments. And ever since we switched up the menu, the reservations have gone up twenty percent. Our first chef’s table event is this weekend!”

“Oh, Arthur, that is excellent! I spoke with the marketers this morning, and the media campaign is all set ahead of that.”

“Oh, by the way,” he lowered his voice and leaned into the camera. “Sidney’s going to be joining the call. I hope it won’t be weird for you guys. I’m SO sorry things turned out the way they did.”

“Oh,” she tried not to break character. “Thank you. Everything’s fine, though, really.”

“He can be so inscrutable sometimes.”

“Honestly, there’s nothing to worry about, really.”

Beep.

“Hello, it’s Tom and Mary here!” Tom chimed in. Tom and Mary had both sat down and were waving at the camera. 

“Sidney’s not in the office yet, and he didn’t mention that he _wasn’t_ going to join the meeting,” Tom said, looking around, and straining to see if Sidney was on his way. He looked back at the camera. “Charlotte, we heard things didn’t really work out between you two. We hope this won’t prevent you from…”

“Oh, Tom, let’s talk about that later, shall we?” Mary interrupted.

“Sorry, I just think you’re such an asset to the team. And I’m frankly surprised things…”

“I wouldn’t say things didn’t…” Charlotte tried to interject, but Tom kept talking. 

“I didn’t see him at all this weekend, not sure what he’s been up to. Anyhow, maybe you’d come back for a follow up?”

“Please, everything is fine, and of course, I’m planning to return.”

“Oh, here he comes,” Tom shushed her.

She heard a door open, and Tom put on an overly cheerful expression, while Mary looked down and smiled to herself. As Sidney came into view, Charlotte saw that he was trying to keep an even expression.

“Morning,” he said looking down.

“Ok, good morning. Glad we’re all here. How are the plans coming along for the relaunch publicity?” Charlotte asked.

“Oh, wonderfully!” Arthur gushed. “All the major details are nearly set, we just need to finalize the promotional campaign.”

“And I still have a couple of calls to make on my end, but I think most of the work has been done to get the ads out. The media buys have happened, and I think we are scheduled for ads to appear on a few of the travel sites.”

“Charlotte,” Arthur interrupted. “Will you be coming back for the launch?”

“Oh yes! You must! This won’t be the same if you’re not here!” Tom added. 

“Don’t let Sidney prevent you from coming!”

“Uh…” Charlotte stammered and she could see Sidney shifting nervously. 

“Hey! Why do you assume I’m preventing her from doing anything?” Sidney was annoyed. 

At that moment, the image froze. She could still hear them chatting, but soon, audio also fell out.

“Hey can you guys still see me?” Nothing. “Hello? Can you guys hear me?” The image flickered.

“Oh, there you are Charlotte!” Arthur said. Their images all came back, but Sidney’s face had fallen and his eyes were wide.

“Charlotte? Um, where are you?” Tom asked, and then turned to Sidney.

Oh shit. When she checked her image, the fake tropical background was gone, and Sidney’s flat was clearly in the background.

“Are you at Sidney’s apartment??” Arthur howled and then began laughing uncontrollably. Mary then burst out laughing as well. 

Sidney’s face reddened. Charlotte’s was deep crimson. And finally Tom cried, “What the hell is going on?”

"Eh..." she stammered.

Sidney sighed, and spoke up first. “Charlotte is staying with me. We didn’t want to say anything because there has been stalker activity again, and this time, there was a photo of Charlotte and myself. But also, there was a photo of Charlotte with Mary and the children. It seemed to be a veiled threat to the family.”

Everyone was quiet as Arthur and Tom took in what Sidney just said.

Charlotte took a deep breath and continued with the explanation. “I am so sorry we weren’t truthful, but I was warned to ‘stay in London,’ and if any word got out that I’m here, I was scared something would happen to the kids.”

“Charlotte, you don’t need to apologize,” Mary jumped in. “This cannot be tolerated, and the children will not be held hostage so that someone can bully you into doing what they want.”

“I do wish you had told us, Sidney. This isn’t something you need to deal with yourself. Do you know who is behind this?” Tom asked.

“I am pretty sure.”

“Well, regardless, I am glad you are dropping the artifice," Arthur interjected. "I hope you come by soon, Charlotte!”

Eliza had been prepping the delivery of orchids all morning, and was going to be on site herself to help with the installation in Arthur’s restaurant. Not with the manual work of course, that was for the workers. She was glad to be back in the good graces of the Parkers. The resort was a large source of business, and while she had associates that could handle the account, she didn’t need to fear being there in person any longer. In fact, now that she had confirmation from Sidney himself that he and Charlotte weren’t a thing, she could work on him unencumbered. 

She arrived ahead of the delivery truck, and walked on to the restaurant to find Arthur. As she approached, she could see workers setting up the display for the orchids. In the distance, she could also hear Arthur’s loud laughing. And she was pretty sure she heard him say “Charlotte.” 

She stopped in her tracks and held her breath. He was definitely engaged in a call on speaker.

Oh. Eliza clenched her jaw. She had overheard enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spot between the clavicles is called the suprasternal notch, as I learned from watching the English Patient - which, as a few of us discussed on Twitter is either incredibly romantic or a major snooze. I found it 🔥🔥🔥 so in my mind, that spot on the neck will always be considered extremely seductive. 
> 
> In trying to imagine Charlotte's look of the evening, this was how I envisioned her attire:  
> Jumpsuit:  
> https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/shop/product/les-reveries/one-shoulder-velvet-jumpsuit/1276690  
> Belt:  
> https://us.maje.com/en/categories/belts/119anoushka/MFACE00090.html?dwvar_MFACE00090_color=2517&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-cng39Sy7gIVQZ-GCh3VSQBeEAQYASABEgIvUPD_BwE#start=1  
> Ring:  
> https://www.marketsquarejewelers.com/collections/aquamarine/products/aquamarine-and-gold-cocktail-ring


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a roller coaster of a couple of weeks, right?? First we had casting calls for S2, then a not-so-encouraging interview with Theo James, then there was the chat with Rose Williams, then Sophie Wilkinson says something that sounds kinda encouraging... This fangirl is exhausted. Thanks to fanfics, Medici watch-alongs, and assorted Henry Cavill/Tom Hardy/etc threads to keep me going! Hoping you all are healthy and safe.

Eliza stormed out on to the patio of the restaurant into the cool morning air to try to clear her head. Hot tears were leaving black streaks of eye makeup down her face and she was seething. This was a pretty shitty week. Another rejection from another reality show, she spilled wine on her Burberry bag, plus Max texted to say he was back in town and wanted to see her. It was a ritual that she never missed, but the timing was terrible. He’d text her, they’d have sex and then he’d promise take her on one of his trips. He’d been saying that ever since he got his pilots license, but he never took her anywhere. He had also promised a ring, but that never materialized either. 

Now this. She exhaled and wiped away her tears. Fuck that uppity little city girl. Can’t she find a boy in her own town and leave the men here alone?

She texted Zara, and waited for a response. Silence. 

She rolled her eyes. This was going to require a different approach. She started making a few calls.

* * *

Lisa: _Evan, you better be on your way to the studio. They’re expecting you in 10 minutes_

Fuck. Go away, Lisa. 

Lisa: _Evan are you there??_

He raised his head off the pillow and rubbed his eyes. He rolled on to his back, trying to remember what had happened. Checking his phone, he realized the alarm had been going off but evidently he neglected to turn on the volume. It started buzzing, and he nearly dropped it on his face.

“Yes, I’m here, Lisa, for fuck’s sake.”

“Get up, Evan. You’re late again. You know, it’s a good thing this is just a meeting. If they were shooting today, the director might have you replaced.”

“I know, I know,” he looked around. Wow, did he really finish that bottle of vodka? Where did he get that? 

“Evan, get your shit together, you’re slipping. If you get fired, then I’ll get fired. I’m calling you back in five minutes and you’d better be dressed and out the door.”

There had been a lot pressure recently. He had missed a press junket. The film’s producer had threatened to fire him. And for some reason, those damn detectives kept trying to contact him. 

He thumbed through notifications on his phone. Oh, now things were coming back to him. That photo of Charlotte and her fucking bodyguard. He did not expect that to trigger a bender. His phone buzzed again.

Jane: _WTF, Evan_  
Attached to her text was a photo of him and some woman in a bar obviously drinking shots. 

Jane: _You know if you break sobriety, the studio said all bets are off._

Evan: _Those are non-alcoholic beverages, Jane._

Jane: _Non-alcoholic shots?? Don’t fucking lie to me, Evan! I’m going to beg the director to go easy on you, but you better clean up your image and get some stability in your life ASAP._

He hoisted himself up, splashed water on his face, dressed, and ran out the door. The car was waiting for him, and as he settled in for the ride, he took his phone out again. 

@EvanShay  
 _@Zaraaamichaels Can you tell me where Charlotte is?_

Evan knew better than to interact so directly with fans. But it should come as no surprise that impulse control is not a strength among addicts like Evan.

* * *

Mary had been in staff meetings all morning, and hadn’t had a chance to take a look at emails, when finally she was able to sit down at her desk with a cup of tea, which she nearly spit out seeing nearly 50 new email alerts from YouTube. Henry’s video with the butterfly was, for some reason, blowing up. 

“Tom! Come look!” she called out from her desk.

“What is it, dear?”

“It’s Henry! His video is suddenly trending!”

And there it was, a sudden uptick in viewers and they had no idea why.

“Hasn’t that video been up for a while now?” Tom asked befuddled.

“Yes, I wonder if Charlotte or an influencer posted it somewhere.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes an internet star. He does have his mother’s natural on-camera presence, and his father’s phenomenal good looks,” Tom said with a smirk.

“Is that where he gets them?” Mary laughed. “Yes, I suppose you are right.”

“We should feature him in an ad campaign!” Tom declared, looking off into the air, an idea clearly in formation.

“Hold on, before a star is born, let’s see if we can figure out what’s going on here.” Mary was confused why Henry’s video was inexplicably going viral. There had to be some reason.

* * *

  
At the local pub in Sanditon, a lovely brunette in an oddly formal gold dress sashayed in and immediately zeroed in on a young man at the bar. He looked up surprised, and smiled. 

“Hey, I’m Fred. Can I buy you a drink?”

“I’d love one, Fred.”

She twirled her curls and smoothed down her gold dress.

“You don’t look like you’re one of the locals. And I’m sure I would have noticed you if you were.”

“Oh, I’m just in town working at the resort.”

“Really? And what do you do there?”

“Um…” she stammered. “I’d rather not talk about work if that’s ok.” She smiled shyly and glanced up at him. 

“Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Oh, it’s Charlotte.”

Before long, Fred was joined by a couple of friends, and after a round, the four were having a great time - drinking, carrying on loudly and overall enjoying the company of the lovely new vivacious woman, who clearly loved the attention and seemed to bring a new energy to the pub.

* * *

  
Sidney knew Charlotte was getting cabin fever staying at his house. She had made dinner for them for the past couple of nights, and he had promised he would take her out perhaps for a drive to a neighboring town to get out. Plus, there wasn’t much in his pantry, and certainly he didn’t want Charlotte to feel compelled to cook just because she was working out of his flat. 

As he was wrapping up work for the day, he felt his phone buzz.

Charlotte: _WYD cutie_  
Sidney smirked, and forgot what he was doing.

Sidney: _I can’t remember now. What are you doing?_

Charlotte: _Well, I definitely did not eat all your biscuits._

Sidney: 😂 _No? Maybe we can pick some up on our way back from dinner._

Charlotte: _As much as I love your flat Sidney, I’m very much looking forward to stepping out tonight._

As he was typing a response, another text came in. 

Will: _Hey_

Will: _You need to see this_

Attached was a dark photo of a brunette woman in a bar, standing closely to a man at a bar. Upon inspection, Sidney recognized the pub as the local hangout he’d been to nearly every week. Though it was difficult to tell her identity, the hair was like Charlotte’s, as was the gold dress. An odd choice of attire for the local bar.

Will: This just got posted on an account @Charlotte_Haywood

Sidney: That’s not her account. Her real account is @CharlotteHeywood

Will: Then someone is definitely impersonating her.

Sidney opened Twitter and found the bogus account. 

Charlotte Haywood @CharlotteHaywood  
 _Loving being in Sanditon! Been consulting at the Sanditon Spa and Resort! So nice._

Charlotte Haywood @CharlotteHaywood  
 _#ThrowbackThursday Here’s me and Evan back in the old days! #Shaywood_

Charlotte Haywood @CharlotteHaywood  
 _Getting to know the Sanditon locals!_

Attached was an image of the same brunette woman with her face turned away talking to three men.

Sidney's face darkened. He got up from his desk and walked over to Mary and Tom’s office. 

“I need your opinion,” Sidney announced, as he looked down at his phone.

Mary and Tom both looked up from their work, somewhat startled. There was something odd in his voice - it sounded like anger.

“Who does this look like?” He held his phone out to Mary, showing her the photo the mystery account had posted.

Mary frowned, and looked to her husband. “Um… I don’t know, Sidney. Is that supposed to be Charlotte?”

Tom squinted down at the phone. “I can’t say who that is,” he said pointing to the woman. “But that definitely is Fred Robinson. He’s worked on a few jobs for the resort over the years. Good man.”

“You know him?”

“Oh yes. We’ve played cricket together a few times as well.”

“Are you friends with him?”

“Yes, I’d say so.”

“Would you be able to ask him who this woman is?”

“Uh…”

“Please Tom.” Sidney never asked for favors, and from the tone of his voice, he wasn't really asking.

“Of course, Sidney. Now?”

“Yes now, Tom, if you don’t mind!”

Tom could see Sidney was extremely agitated, and this needed to be resolved quickly. He sent a text off to Fred. 

Mary walked over to Sidney to give him a reassuring hug. “Where did you get the photo?”

“Will texted it to me.”

“He took it?”

"No, it appears to be from an account of a 'Charlotte Haywood,' with Heywood being misspelled." Sidney was rarely angry, and Mary could see he was barely holding his temper in.

“Well obviously it’s the same person who’s been stalking Charlotte. How could it be anyone else?”  
“I...I don’t know,” Sidney trailed off. "That looks like Charlotte's dress."  
Mary shot him an exasperated look. “Sidney, no offense but you and Charlotte aren’t very good at this.”  
He looked at her confused. “What do you mean?”  
She smiled patiently. “You’re not good at subterfuge. Neither is Charlotte. Eliza or someone wants you to think _that_ is Charlotte and that she’s cheating on you. Obviously she's dyed her hair or put a wig on or something. And that was the dress Charlotte wore to in London, right? So anyone who saw the photos could find a similar looking gold dress.”

Tom looked up. “Fred said he met her this afternoon, and he said her name is Charlotte.”

The three of them looked at each other. Sidney’s jaw clenched.

“Can you send Fred this photo and see if he recognizes Charlotte?” Sidney took out his phone, scrolled through an embarrassing amount of, uh, not-safe-for-work photos to find a picture of Charlotte’s face and sent it to Tom. 

“I’m sorry to force the issue, Tom, but I really need to know.”

“Sidney, obviously this is important. And I’m sure Fred isn’t going to like being lied to either,” Tom surmised.

There was tension as they waited for a response from Fred.

“You know, things have been weird, today. I still have no idea what triggered the interest in Henry’s video. Last time I checked, it’s had a couple hundred hits since this morning. I can’t help but feel this is related.” ” 

Sidney was engrossed in his phone, scrolling through the previous posts from @CharlotteHaywood. 

“I think I might know why,” Sidney mumbled. “It looks like this same account has posted links to Henry’s video." He held out the phone for Mary to see the Tweets. She raised an eyebrow and frowned, and wondered why her brother-in-law had such a strange effect on women.   
  
“Fred said the woman he met had big blue eyes, not brown eyes,” Tom said.

* * *

Sidney’s responses trailed off. He must still be in the midst of work, Charlotte thought. 

She had spent four days in Sidney’s minimalist apartment and was starting to go batty. While extremely conducive to work - the lack of distractions and the fact that this was not her space meant her only choice was to dive into work (or social media and that had long ago become too stressful so she deleted the apps from her phone) - Sidney’s austere environment was too clinical. Furthermore, there were no places to hide any troves of secrets. (Look, it’s not 'snooping,' it’s _due diligence_.)

Either Sidney wasn’t sentimental, or he just didn’t have anything to hide. Oh, except a few ancient Halloween photos, but you know, the teenage years are cruel to everyone, including handsome snackables like Sidney.

She started rummaging through Sidney’s kitchen. For all the things she loved about him, his choice in snacks was not one of them. She found a some muesli and started heating water for another pour-over coffee. She thought about sneaking out and escaping for a run on the beach. How was she going to stay cooped up in here for another week?

Charlotte: _You two are going to be in Sanditon for the relaunch of the resort, right?  
_  
Esther: _I’ll be there!  
_  
Clara: _Er… must I?  
_  
Charlotte: _Aw, Clara, are you still upset about that whole James thing?  
_  
Clara: _More embarrassed, really. I’m not sure I can ever face Sidney again.  
_  
Esther: _Hey, who hasn’t had those thoughts? You just said them out loud.  
_  
Clara: _Ok, so I can add inability to keep my mouth shut to my list of personality traits. Cool.  
_  
Charlotte: _Wait, you too, Esther?  
_  
Esther: _What? Me? Um... What are we even talking about?  
_  
Clara: 😂 _Thanks E, at least I’m not the only one who's perpetually thirsty._

Charlotte: _Ok, I’m just going to go back to the topic of the relaunch party. Clara, you’ll have so many amazing pics to post on Instagram and your blog. Arthur’s planning something amazing, and is working with the event planner for some super secret surprise._

Clara: _Yeah, I am looking forward to that, but where am I supposed to stay? You two are shacked up with your men, and I’m the only single one. That sounds like so much fun for me._ 🙄

Esther: _Hey, I happen to know there is someone here who wants to see you_

Clara: _The bartender?_  
Esther: 

Esther: _No. I was talking about Frank_

Clara: _Oh really… Tell me more_

Esther: _He said you never texted him back_

Clara: _WTH? He never texted me!_

Esther: _Let's make that the first item on the meeting agenda, shall we?_

Charlotte: _Why don’t I get us rooms at the resort, and we can make it a girls’ weekend?_

Esther: _Oh! That sounds fun!_

Clara: 

Clara: _Will there be sea bathing?_

Charlotte: _There is always sea bathing. Just a question of whether you can handle the cold. And let’s not forget, I just can’t get caught by cameras, ok?_

Esther: _No problem_

Clara: 👍

Pleased that she was able to entice Esther and Clara, she was now excited to have their company to look forward to. Now just another hour before Sidney would be back. No wonder dogs are so excited when owners return home. It's bloody boring all day.

Charlotte: _Please hurry back. I miss you._

Charlotte: 

She selected a pair of the panties Sidney had packed and laid them out on the bed. She took a photo and sent it.

Sidney looked at the pictures and grinned. Mary was right. Charlotte was not capable of subterfuge. 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Another Monday down and we still wait for more signs... So if you think someone impersonating another is far fetched, someone actually did impersonate me once, though not on social media. She gave out my name and number to men who’d hit on her. 😒🤬 Mhmm, I have my suspicions of who it was.

“Charlotte?” Sidney called out, as he walked through the door. He looked around and was confused that she wasn’t at her usual spot at the kitchen counter on her laptop. 

He dropped his bag, loosened his tie and took off his jacket. 

“Charlotte…” he called out again. There was no response. He went into the bedroom, but she wasn’t there. He rushed into the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either.

“Charlotte!” he was now starting to panic. 

There was a muffled noise in the wardrobe. He rushed over and threw the door open. 

“RAWR!” Charlotte jumped out, giggling and pinned him to the bed.

“Jesus! Why…?”

“I got you!” she was breathless, laughing. 

“You nearly gave me a heart attack!” he panted. “That’s a great way to get yourself knocked out, Charlotte. Don’t do that!”

“I thought I was going to die laughing in there and totally ruin the surprise.” Dear lord, she was chattering a mile a second. “That’s for the heart attack _you_ gave _me_ when you sprang out of the sea like Poseidon.”

Sidney started to scowl, but she was being too entertaining, and her energy was infectious. 

"Well, I'm glad you said 'Poseidon' and not, say, a leviathan."

"Ha! No, you're definitely more Greek god, than leviathan. I mean, the leviathan part of you probably prefers warmer waters."

"Hey!" he cried, trying to reverse the tackle, but she now clung to him like a koala.

“Hey Sidney!” she grinned. “I’ve had a LOT of coffee today while you were gone, because that’s all there was in your kitchen. Do you want to go for a run? Or maybe we can go swimming?”

“Whoa, hold on,” he laughed. Note to self: do not leave Charlotte alone with the coffee. "Which coffee did you have?"

"That stuff in the brown paper bag. I don't know how you normally make that, it's so finely ground, the French press was pretty much useless. Oh, by the way, you're out of filters."

"Oh, no," he looked at her concerned. "That was Turkish coffee. It's meant to be consumed like espresso."

“Oh. I had a whole pot." 

Oh my god. 

“Hey,” his face grew serious for a moment. “Did you go out of the house today?”

“Nope, and I’m kinda going crazy,” she said grinning maniacally. She started planting kisses all over his face, and wrapped herself around him even tighter. “Didn’t you miss me? I missed you so much. All I could think of was jumping on you as soon as you came home.”

He smiled to himself, and turned his head to kiss her back. Her affection was genuine, and she was so being playful and adorable, and being there with her, her lips on his, he had no doubt of her feelings for him.

“Wait, hold on, Charlotte. There's something I need to talk about." He had to extract himself enough to not be distracted by her attempts to lick his ears. "I think someone is impersonating you.”

She paused for a moment and loosened her grip on him.

“Why do you think that?”

“Have you been posting anything on Twitter?” he asked, as he brought out his phone and pulled up the pictures posted on the @CharlotteHaywood account.

“No, I deleted the app because all the 'Shaywood' comments were driving me insane.”

They went through all the posts, and stopped on the photos of the woman in the pub.

“Wow, someone wants me to look like a slut who’s still in love with Evan.” She shuddered. “Did you really think this was me?”

“…No.” He barely paused, but she caught it. 

"Sidney, you thought I would betray you?"

"Charlotte," he said haltingly. "Forgive me. I told you when I was seeing Eliza, she cheated on me, and... I guess maybe I reacted emotionally, and assumed that's what was going on."

Her body visibly deflated, and she let go of him.

"Still making assumptions about me?"

"I'm sorry, Charlotte."

She couldn't help but feel saddened, and as was her usual response, she tried to hide her disappointment in a joke.

"Ok, first of all, that gold dress of mine is a vintage silk Gucci that I bought off someone, who bought it from Tom Ford’s assistant’s personal collection,” she had her eyebrows raised in mock snobbish disgust. “ _That_ ragamuffin is wearing some mass produced number that is ill-fitting and paired with gross shoes.” Seriously, white shoes with a gold dress, ew.

Sidney saw through her false bravado.

“Secondly, that guy? Or those guys? I mean, I’m sure they’re perfectly fine, but..." she breathed in and weighed the consequences of saying out loud what was in her mind. "You kinda spoil it for everyone else, Sidney.”

He felt flattered but ashamed. 

“And thirdly,” she laid back and stared up at the ceiling, held her breath for a moment, trying to quiet the hurt and fear, and said quietly, “I’m madly in love with you.”

In the silence that followed, Charlotte’s anxious, over-caffeinated heart felt the vise tighten with each second that passed. This feeling was one she did not miss in the past few years. This was why relationships suck. Even when she didn't do anything wrong, she suffered for someone else's actions. 

Finally, she felt his hand find hers, and he rolled on to his side to look at her. "Are you angry with me?" he asked.

"I'm not angry with you." Her eyes closed. "But I hope some day I can have your trust."

He could see her throat clench as she swallowed. Sidney's own chest felt crushed. He could see the hurt was spreading like an infection between the both of them.

"Charlotte, you haven't done anything to make me distrust you. I'm sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me." His brow furrowed, and his face looked pained. 

She turned to look at him. "There is nothing you should apologize for. How can you control how you feel when someone has hurt you so badly in your past? It’s true I'm hurt you had that reaction, but that isn't your fault."

"I'm angry at myself for letting this seep into my mind, and validating it - even for a moment - by being jealous." He felt frustrated that no matter he said, he couldn’t undo how she felt. "I know I am a good deal less than perfect."

"As am I, Sidney," she replied, turning so they were now both lying on their sides facing each other.

"Please, I hope you won't hold that against me. Having you here has made me realize I am my best self when I am with you," he said.

Her face softened. "Being here, I feel I am my truest self with you," she answered, her brown eyes became wet yet there was a glow in them.

"This feels like an assault on our relationship, and I promise I won't let that happen." He held both her hands in his and squeezed. "Because I am madly in love with you too."

* * *

The following day, Charlotte, Sidney, Arthur and Mary were waiting for Tom before starting another meeting about the week of promotional activity leading up to the official relaunch. 

After very little convincing on Sidney’s part, Charlotte agreed there was no need to stay hidden away, so she agreed to accompany Sidney to the resort and work on location.

There was just that niggling detail of Henry’s video going viral. Sidney brought it up with Charlotte, and she too thought something was off about that. In checking the video's analytics, unfortunately, it was inconclusive. The views were coming from around the world, at various times of day, and mostly from new accounts with limited viewing history. The good news out of that was that it wasn't coming from obviously suspicious demographics - not that there was any clear demographic or location for bad guys.

Separately, she found a number of new fan accounts dedicated to Evan, and some specifically dedicated to Shaywood, which was odd. There was nothing new there, thankfully. No photos from Sanditon, or of her with Sidney, and nothing even from the embarrassing days of her marriage with Evan. Given how good Evan looked - and the fact that photos were all taken from the public domain, and hence not subject to copyright issues - she guessed these had been created by his publicist. 

In an abundance of caution, Charlotte insisted on extra safety measures for Sidney's nephews and nieces. His solution was to have himself, Babbers or Crowe accompany the children to and from school, much to the delight of the kids who now had four uncles willing to spoil them with after school treats. It was also a welcome change for their teachers, who were themselves elated to have their own after school treat of flirting with three bachelor bodyguards.

Frank and Will were highly entertained by the new responsibility and had even given themselves and the children code names. 

This morning, it was Crowe's responsibility to drop off the girls. Sidney got a text as they sat around the meeting room, still waiting for Tom. 

Frank: _Poseidon, this is the Deacon. Hermione and the Diva have been successfully delivered._

Sidney smirked, and was grateful his friends weren’t complaining.

Sidney: _Thanks, Deacon. Please don't call me Poseidon._

Frank: _Oh come on. No one liked Outlier._

Will: _I'm still on for afternoon pickup, correct?_

Sidney: _Yes, Lordship. Thanks, guys. I owe you both._

Frank: _Then let us call you Poseidon._

Will: _I think only It Girl gets to call him Poseidon._

At that moment, Tom burst into the meeting room. 

“Good news!” Tom was practically bouncing with excitement. Charlotte wondered if he'd had some of Sidney’s coffee. “The event planners finalized the schedule for next week, and we have SUCH an amazing lineup!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful Tom,” Mary beamed. “What do we have planned?”

“There are a couple of spots for travel shows and a promotional stop for some upcoming reality show! And…” he paused dramatically, “They want to do interviews with the management.”

“Oh you’ll be perfect, Tom!” Charlotte exclaimed. “And I also have some interviews lined up for the resort, but on a slightly different angle - the design of the new uniforms.”

“What?” Sidney looked at her surprised. They hadn’t spoken of the uniforms in weeks. He thought they had settled on keeping the old uniforms.

“Before you jump to conclusions about the designs,” she interjected, “I reached out to my friend at the fashion institute and to a sustainability expert that I met at the Attenborough lecture, and they came up with a new design based on recycled fabrics, and they also found a non-profit that repurposes uniforms and other clothes for schools in third world countries.”

Sidney held her gaze for a moment. “Did you do this because of what I had said about the uniforms being wasteful?"

She directed her eyes at him. "Of course. You're my client, and that was your requirement. So when the reporters call, you should be the one to talk about the importance of sustainability."

Sidney hedged. "Oh, I think we can give Tom or Mary some talking points."

“Hey, let's not forget about me!” Arthur interjected.

”Yes! You too will have talking points about your locally sourced menus,” Charlotte added.

”I was talking about my surprise for the launch!”

“Do we need to prepare ourselves for anything scandalous?” Sidney asked suspiciously. 

“Only if we’re lucky!” Arthur laughed.

* * *

“I wish you had reached out to me,” Diana said as Evan sat down before her. The pictures from his drunken “outing” were now all the studio execs could talk about and Diana received a panicked call from the director, asking why she wasn’t watching Evan more closely.

“In retrospect, I do too,” Evan sighed. He had nearly skipped his meeting with Diana, but he knew she’d report that back up to the executives. “But I have a plan.”

“Do you?” Diana was skeptical, but she held her tongue.

“It’s about Charlotte,” he said. “I think things are looking up.”

“Interesting.”

The ‘agreement’ was that he agreed to meet with Zara to talk about Charlotte. Which admittedly was suspect, but Charlotte still had him blocked, and he had a feeling this was the best lead he’d had in awhile. 

“I’m glad you have committed to a goal of stability. As it turns out, the studio has asked me to accompany you on this promotional tour.” Diana did not like having to babysit her clients, but this is exactly what she was being asked to do. 

Evan was not surprised. Everyone wanted to control him it seemed. 

And it was because of this unwanted scrutiny that Evan found himself leaving for Sanditon earlier than planned. He did not tell Diana or Lisa about his plans, and managed to leave London on his own in an attempt to find Charlotte on his own. He wasn’t really sure what would happen, but he knew he had to try. He was Evan fucking Shay, after all.

Evan parked and stepped out of his car. The town was quaint and the resort seemed like a well-appointed getaway, but as he was driving in from London, he was baffled why Charlotte would have selected such an out of the way village like this to hide in. She was always so urbane, this hardly seemed like her style.

He was running about a half hour early - highly unusual for Evan. He agreed to meet Zara at a cafe that seemed fairly new. It was certainly the right place for evading prying eyes. As he waited, he took a seat at a table and started scrolling through messages.

_Evan,_

_We’ve been trying to reach you for a few days and we would like to discuss some developments in your and Charlotte Heywood’s case. Please call us to arrange a time for you to come in to the station._

_Det. Harries_

As if. There was one thing this black-out drunk/addict doesn’t do, and that is voluntarily walk into a police station. 

“Oh my god, it’s really you, Evan!”

He looked up from his phone. A woman approached who looked like she was about to hyperventilate and cry at the same time. Yes, thank god, she was a loyal fangirl - and his bread and butter.

“It really is I, darling,” he answered, exuding all the Evan charm he could. He stood, extended his hand and lifted her hand to his lips. He could sense her weakening from his unwavering gaze. “You must be Zara.”

She gasped, and then giggled. “Yes, I am. I can’t believe you’re actually here. In Sanditon. Meeting me!”

“Well you did ask me to, and how could I refuse?" 

The woman was clearly one of the fans on the fringe. Evan had to be careful with these types. They tended to easily get whipped in to a frenzy and also to easily misinterpret comments. 

"So Zara, how do you know Charlotte?"

"Oh, um... I met her here, when she came to town to work at the resort. But Evan, I hope you're not here to get back together with her."

Evan knew there was a small but vocal contingent of his fandom who was violently opposed to him being with Charlotte, or probably anyone. He needed to tread carefully.

"I just want to see the work she's been doing. I mean, we may have officially split, but she was my wife once. And to be frank, she's always been a muse." He placed his hand on Zara's, and smiled gently. "You will help me get back to her won't you?"

Zara tensed at his touch.

"Er... Evan, you should know that she hasn't exactly been... um... faithful to you. She's been seen here in Sanditon with different men."

"The man in the photo you sent me?"

"For one, yes."

"And you know him?"

"I know who he is. He's also affiliated with the resort." 

"I see," he looked down. "It doesn't seem right, does it?"

"Evan, I don't think she's right for you."

He smiled down at her. "Zara, darling, this is why I need your help. I'm in a bit of trouble with my director - oh, i don't know if you've heard, but I'm in an upcoming film..." he paused. Zara nodded. "And I've had some difficulties with the press, catching me at my lowest. So I'm trying to keep an image of stability. For reasons I can't exactly explain," he said haltingly, "Charlotte helps with that."

Zara stared back at Evan, and frowned. 

"So you see how why I have to do this," Evan put both hands on hers. "Can you help me?"

Zara's eyes widened and her heart fluttered. 

"I can help you, Evan." 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello gorgeous readers! Well, Valentine's Day came and went, and now we know who doesn't love us as much as we love them. Haha, just kidding. Kinda. Maybe I'm bitter, maybe not. At least we have a great fandom to keep up the fun. Have a great week, everyone!

Esther and Clara arrived at the resort, ready to slay and break hearts. This time, though, there were a lot more guests, and many of them were just as fashionable.

It was approaching late afternoon on Friday, and in addition the regular weekend guests, the resort was fully booked with those attending the reopening festivities. The event planners had a full weekend of activities - a yoga retreat, a sand art festival, and a sailing regatta. The main event, though, would be Arthur’s culinary blowout and party Saturday night.

Since Charlotte was planning to spend the afternoon with Esther and Clara, Sidney had gone off to meet Babington and Crowe for jiujitsu class, with the promise of bringing the men back for dinner and drinks with the women. Charlotte met them on the patio and was reminded how much she missed their company. The three sat down and ordered cocktails.

“It’s been too long, squad,” she said, raising her glass for a toast.

“ _So_ long. I was beginning to think you both were AI bots that answered texts,” Clara added.

“Apparently highly intelligent and super thirsty AI bots,” Charlotte laughed.

“With an extensive library of gifs!” said Esther.

Charlotte filled them in on the assorted drama that had followed her to Sanditon - the fake Twitter profiles, the impersonation, the odd viral interest in Henry’s video - and the fact she was completely lost in love with Sidney.

“I knew it!” Esther exclaimed excitedly. "Sidney Lion Tamer Parker! Ha! He got you good, too."

"Lion?! Nah... I'm a sweet pussycat."

The three paused, then erupted into laughter. 

"I suppose I don't need to make the obvious play on words there?" Esther added.

Charlotte laughed. "Please don't."

Clara turned to Esther and asked, “What was the over/under on that? 3 weeks? 4 weeks? I think you owe me a dinner.”

“Hey! No gambling on my love life!” Charlotte interjected. “I never thought it would happen, to be honest. I was _so_ against it.”

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Esther laughed, shaking her head. “And what about you, Clara? Think you might give Frank a second chance?”

Clara looked coyly at the others. “I don’t know. I kind of like my baller life. And after the James debacle, I have a few issues with trust.”

“Don’t we all,” Charlotte winced, recalling the chest-crushing feeling as she thought of Sidney. She couldn’t blame him for his jealous reaction at the photos of her. Obviously, someone wanted him specifically to see them. It still pulled on her heart that he thought it might have been her.

She glanced at her watch. "Ok, ladies, I'm going up to the room to change before dinner. The guys said they would meet us in about a half hour, so I'll see you shortly." 

"Ok, we'll lounge by the pool until then," Clara answered.

Esther turned to Clara, "I need to find the loo. I'll meet you out there."

Charlotte went back in to the lobby, and back toward her room. She felt dizzy, suddenly realizing the drinks were stronger than she anticipated. As she concentrated on unlocking her door, she smiled to herself thinking how nice it was to be back out and not hiding at Sidney's. The door unlocked, and as she was stepping into the room, she felt a hard shove and fell face first on the floor. She blacked out before registering what had happened, or that someone had slipped into the room behind her.

* * *

Clara headed toward the pool, while Esther went looking for the restroom. She was about to open the door for the ladies’ room, when the neighbouring door to the men’s suddenly opened.

“Well, hello sister.”

Esther looked up and gasped.

“Bloody hell.” Esther’s gaze was ice, and Evan gave her a weak smile.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Evan?”

“Oh I’m glad you’ve accepted the new me,” Evan started. “The last time we met, you, your mum and my dad were all still calling me Edward. Of course, none of you have reached out to me in the last five years, but whatever. I still love you all.”

“You can hardly blame them. That _was_ your name.” Esther gave him a scowl. “And I’m not your family, Evan, so don’t call me ‘sister.’ I’ll never be your sister.”

“Sorry,” he said with exaggeration. “' _Step_ -sister.'”

“You shouldn’t be here. Charlotte doesn’t want to see you.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll change her mind.” He looked around. She had to be close, if Esther was here.

“You’re not going to accost her here. This is her _work place_.”

He scoffed. “It’s also a hotel lobby, so I don’t see why I can’t be here.”

Esther leaned toward him. “Evan, you never knew when to stop, and it looks like you still don’t. Can’t you see you’re hurting her with your actions?”

Evan looked away for a moment. God, family sucks. “My dear Esther, can you just tell me where to find my wife?”

Esther grimaced. “You stubborn moron! She’s not your wife, and hasn’t been for five years. And judging from all the photos of you in the gossip sites, it seems like you also moved on a long time ago. So what do you even need to talk to her about?”

"Since you are _not_ my family, as you so emphasized, I don't see how it is any of your business." And with that he walked off.

Esther started to chase after him. Evan turned sharply and said in low hiss, "I wouldn't try to stop me, if I were you. I'd hate for your secret - oh, I mean _our_ secret - to come to light."

She choked on her own breath. "That. Never. Happened. You tried to smear me before, and it didn't work then either!"

Evan looked at her quizzically. "Maybe you're willing to take that risk?" 

He walked off and left her staring in shock. Esther was only a teenager when her mother remarried, and Evan was already touring with the band. When he first met her, he mistook her for a fan and kissed her on the lips. Completely stunned, she hadn't pulled away, and when he learned her real identity, he teased her mercilessly that she lusted after him. She hated him ever since, and when he and Charlotte split, she wanted to provide support for someone she knew must have been taken advantage of, just as she had been. 

Esther quickly took out her phone and called Charlotte. No answer. 

"Watch out. I just ran into Evan by the restrooms. He's looking for you." She hung up and texted the same message, but again no answer.

Evan was crossing the lobby, when he thought he spotted Charlotte outside. He quickly picked up the pace, but suddenly felt a hand grab his arm and jerk him backwards. 

“Evan! Why didn’t you tell me you were heading out of town?” 

He turned sharply and looked down, confused. “Diana? What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?”

“I spoke with Lisa,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. 

“But how did Lisa know… nevermind. Why are you here?”

“I’m here to help, Evan,” Diana’s said gently. “I’m your sobriety companion, remember? You don’t need to go through this alone.”

She had a firm grip of his arm, and wasn’t letting go. She dragged him back in the opposite direction, and led him away from the patio. She was bizarrely strong and forceful when she needed to be.

“Let’s have a chat over tea. Shall we?” 

He started to shake himself free of her grip, but Diana repositioned herself, and moved to block his path.

“Diana, get out of my way. I have something I need to do,” and he started to crane his neck to see if Charlotte was still in sight, but it turned out not to be her. He pursed his lips in frustration, and exhaled forcefully.

"There's no hurry, Evan. Sobriety takes time."

He looked at her with bewilderment. 

"I don't understand what your issue, Diana, but I was in the middle of something. In fact, I was just about to apologize to Charlotte."

"I see. You'll still be able to."

“Look, step eight was your idea,” he turned to her in anger. “Make amends and all that bullshit? I was just trying to reach Charlotte to do just that, because she’s managed to evade me for weeks, and now I’ve missed her. So what, dear Diana, is so bloody urgent that we have to talk about it over tea?”

She had him at the edge of a chair, and when he wouldn’t sit down, she made a quick move to his side, tucked a knee behind his, and gave him a shove backward. He lost his balance and plopped in the chair, pouting.

“There we are. Isn’t that more comfortable?” She gestured to a server for tea, and returned her attention to Evan. 

“I suppose as a handler of drunks you’ve got a few moves up your sleeves to force compliance,” he glared at her.

“Yes, ever since that very public meltdown, the studio’s been pressuring me to keep you in line. So that’s why I’m here.” She paused and her smile dropped. “You’re not ready to address Charlotte right now.”

“And I suppose you’re the one to decide that?”

“No, I’m just telling you what I see.”

“Then let me go, so I can get her back.”

“Look Evan, I need to tell you something." She moved closer to him. "Your publicist Jane has been taken into custody this afternoon."

He furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? Jane? Bennett? You've got to be mistaken."

Diana remained expressionless. "I'm not, and unfortunately for you, things don't look very good. I’ve been working very closely with the Detectives Harries and Beecroft. You are very much involved in some illegal activity, Evan.” 

"Wait, are you with the police?!"

Evan started to sit up, but Diana stood and shoved him back down.

"Yes, Evan. I am Sergeant Diana Howard."

"Look, I may be a drunk and an asshole, but I'm not a criminal. I always pay for my alcohol, and drugs. No one can say I've stolen anything from anyone."

“That's not what I'm talking about. Jane’s tactics are pretty cutthroat, and in the pursuit of elevating you and her other clients, she’s broken several cyber stalking laws. Unfortunately, so have you, or at least accounts attributable to you. That makes you complicit at the very least, and if we find out that you directed her to do this, you'll be in significantly more trouble.”

“I don’t control any of that!” he said emphatically. “Lisa posts all that stuff at Jane’s direction. You can ask her.”

“Oh we did ask Lisa, and she said you checked all the content. It is your official account. Surely you care about what goes out under your identity?”

“Well, of course…”

“And so do others. People pay attention to you, Evan.”

“God knows why,” he said flippantly.

“Because they’re your fans,” she was growing increasingly irritated at his attitude. “If you care about how you’re being perceived, consider the people who don’t seek the public eye at all. Like Charlotte Heywood.”

His eyes shot up and his eyebrows tensed together. 

“What about Charlotte? I haven’t done anything to her, and she has blocked me. We are only in touch through our attorneys.”

“Charlotte Heywood has been impersonated, and we have reason to believe your agent is responsible for fraud involving her identity along with several other people.”

Evan was dumbfounded. He stared at Diana who, up until this very moment, had seemed more of a loving motherly type, and now he had no idea what to think of her. 

“Am I being arrested?” he stammered. 

“If you cooperate, you may not face charges. We discovered that there’s another person in your orbit that we’ve been trying to catch for some time.”

“Who?”

Diana took her phone out and showed him a photo.

“Do you know this person?”

He frowned. “Yes, I do.”

"This person is suspected of stalking you and Charlotte years ago - all the break-ins, the weird packages, the photos. It wasn't acted on back then, for whatever reason, but in the subsequent years, the suspect has been stalking a number of other victim. Some of them public figures, some of them not. We think this person is becoming increasingly unhinged, and is responsible for a lot of the cyberbullying Charlotte's been receiving recently. If you can help us, then it's possible you will be given leniency."

His heart sank. Charlotte would never have been in this mess if it weren't for him.

"Of course, I'll help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, lovely readers. You finally got to meet Diana! Was it a surprise? I know there was some discussion about her being a Parker, and I gotta give credit - that would have been a great twist. 😀  
> Hey, also, I tried my best to research cyber stalking laws in the UK. But I got in over my head, and then I started worrying if I died tomorrow, there would be this browser history of cyber crimes, and celebrity stalkers, plus all those Theo James pictures, and overall, just not how I want to be remembered. So... please be forgiving. 🤪  
> We are rounding into the home stretch! Woo hoo!


	31. Chapter 31

When Sidney, Babington and Crowe arrived at the resort after their class, Tom was giving an interview to a reporter and her camera crew outside the hotel about the reopening. He was beaming and gesturing enthusiastically. In another life, he would have been a perfect master of ceremonies. Or ringmaster. Or carnival barker. It was a slippery slope.

Tom relished the spotlight, and it was obvious he had a commanding and lively personality perfect for this kind of thing. This was his moment and he was bursting with fruit flavor.

The lobby was buzzing with people. In addition to the influx of guests, workers were setting up lounge sets, chairs, tables and drapes. Lighting rigs were being assembled along the walls.

“What the hell is happening in here? Is the resort putting on a production of Les Misérables?” Frank asked.

“I’m afraid we might be underdressed for this crowd,” Will added. No question, they were looking pretty grubby having just finished jiujitsu class. Sweaty, rumpled, shirtless beneath their white gis* and loose pants, they were a striking contrast to the chic, sleek crowd that looked like they were in town for fashion week. The men stood looking around, a bit dumbfounded and unsure how to navigate the crowd.

“Well, come on, let’s see if the women are in the bar,” Sidney said, and as they were about to cross the lobby, Tom’s voice was getting louder and closer.

“Sidney!”

Sidney pretended not to hear.

“That’s my brother over there. Sidney!” Tom’s tall frame covered a lot of ground quickly, leaving the reporter and the cameraman jogging to catch up. The poor assistant left with all the gear had to figure out how to keep up.

“Sidney, there you are! The news is here for our interview!”

“Yes, Tom, I saw. And as I recall, _you_ were handling this one,” Sidney grumbled. He turned to the news crew, and greeted them as the camera turned toward him. “Thank you for coming. Very nice to meet you, but I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me, I’m not exactly camera-ready.” Sidney gave a self-deprecating bow, and walked off.

“I see the resort has a very, um, unusual security presence,” the reporter commented, slightly annoyed. “Interesting attire. Certainly prepared for action.”

“Ah well, um, Sidney is actually our CFO,” Tom stammered. “We are… um… cross-training all our staff for various scenarios. Which brings me to another feature we are rather proud of in our new corporate identity: the eco-consciousness of our new uniforms…” Tom continued undeterred, and led the journalists away.

Once out of earshot, Will and Frank slapped Sidney on the back. “So do we get freelance wages as your financial-team-turned-personal-security-detail?”

“I should get a raise for taking on the extra work,” Sidney laughed. Once in the bar, they struggled to find seats and after wading through all the visitors, they realized their women weren’t among them.

Babbers looked around, but didn't spot Esther's signature hair. “Well, I don’t see them. Perhaps they’re by the pool? I’ll send Esther a text.”

Will and Frank were bemused by the scene, but Sidney was irritated, and also irritated at himself for feeling that.

“Come on, Lordship, let’s get us a round while we wait,” Frank said and the two headed toward the bar. “Sidney, watch out for those aggressive accountants! They’ve been known to attack at any moment!”

At the other end of the floor, Evan pulled out all his tricks to charm Diana. He noted he was not being arrested, so there was a possibility her threats were a ruse. He'd have to take a risk.

“I can’t believe you’re a cop, Diana. When we first met, I assumed you were an actress with the studio. And then when you said you were my sober coach, wow…” he paused to smile and look directly in her eyes, “I couldn’t believe I was so lucky to finally have someone in my life who could really know my struggles.”

Diana took a seat and was more at eye level with Evan now. He leaned forward and lowered his voice to draw her in closer.

"You've been an absolutely gift to me," he said with earnestness. "Thank you for understanding me."

She looked back into his grey-blue eyes, which had been blinking slowly while he spoke, but returned to a more normal pace as he sat gazing at her. He was a good liar, but he wasn't good enough.

“Oh, I understand completely, Evan,” she nodded and smiled back. “And I really am a sober coach, I wasn’t lying. I’m in recovery myself.” At this point, she dropped her smile and spoke deliberately. “So I recognize bullshit when I hear it.”

He sat back and his smile faded. Perhaps this would be harder than he thought.

“Diana, I was making such great progress. As someone in recovery, you must have seen how hard it took me to get there. You've seen how good things can be when I have a stabilizing force like Charlotte. And I know you would definitely want to see someone you’ve been coaching to succeed."

Diana looked at him sympathetically.

“Of course, Evan.”

“So you'll help me?”

“Once we have our suspect, I’ll continue to be your advocate if you like.”

Evan looked disappointed. “I see my recovery is conditional to you. That seems antithetical to the role of a sober coach. In fact, I think in the past you’ve referred to that as emotional blackmail.”

Diana was silent. He was right. But she needed his help.

“So you know where the suspect is?”

"I can't say for certain."

"Can you arrange a meeting?"

"I can try."

Sidney really needed to shower and clean up. He considered going to Charlotte's room to wash up, but she hadn’t returned his text. He figured she probably wouldn’t mind if he let himself in, considering he was about to meet her anyhow.

As he was looking around once more to see if he had missed her somehow, he spotted a familiar face at a distance. Evan. Fuck.

He messaged Charlotte immediately.

Sidney: _Evan’s here. Are you alright?_

He waited. She didn’t answer. After several long minutes, he noticed she still hadn’t even read the text. He called but no answer. He then sent the codeword to Frank and Will, who were still waiting in the bar to order drinks.

Sidney: _BLACKGUARD_

A week ago, when the three men had begun talking about possible stalker scenarios, they discussed Evan showing up in Sanditon, but it seemed pretty unlikely. But there he was, looking smug and smarmy with a woman who did not seem like a fan. It was hard to gauge what their relationship was.

Frank: _Where?_

Sidney: _Lobby. Seated talking a woman._

Will: _Should we grab him?_

Sidney: _It's too exposed here. We need to find the trio. You haven’t seen any of them, have you? Charlotte’s not answering me_

Frank: _Not in the bar_

Will: _Haven’t seen any of them_

Sidney _: Anyone check the pool?_

Frank: _I’ll go_

Will: _Hang on, just getting a message from Inferno_

('Inferno' was a much better handle than 'Poseidon.' Sidney really muffed it in the code names.)

What the fuck was Evan doing here? If he was going to try something with Charlotte, there would be hell to pay. And no one was going to be happy with a dead former pop star in the lobby. Well, almost no one.

Frank: _Found Phoenix at the pool_

Great. The only one still missing was Charlotte. Sidney walked slowly around the perimeter of the room. Carefully observing all the guests, he tried to assess if any were with Evan. Did anyone look like a threat? Were there crazed fans? Was that tool James here? If he was able to slip into the London party, he could certainly do that here. There were too many possibilities and it was making him anxious.

Will: _Esther hasn’t seen Charlotte either. She’s warned her about Evan, but hasn’t heard back. She said she went up to her room about a half hour ago._

Sidney’s heart sank. That wasn’t normal. They were all supposed to be meeting now, and Charlotte wouldn’t have ditched the other two for very long. Maybe she was in the shower. He tried calling her again, but it went straight to voicemail.

Sidney: _Where’s Esther?_

Will: _In the loo. Apparently she and Evan ran into each other and argued, but she says she’s ok. That asshole made my girlfriend cry, so I have to punch him now._

Sidney: _Not if I find him first_

Frank: _Hey, I want in on the fun_

Will: _Ok, I'm_ _going to wait for Esther by the restrooms and then let's regroup in the bar._

Sidney: _I’m going to check Charlotte’s room. Guys, don’t let Evan out of your sight._

Frank: _Affirmative, Poseidon._

Sidney was too concerned to react to the moniker. He had to check on Charlotte to make sure nothing was amiss. He should have realized this whole extravaganza of a weekend would provide a perfect opportunity for Evan to seek her out, and he was angry at himself for not being more vigilant. He started toward the elevator, hurrying to find some resolution to his anxiety.

“Sidney!”

For fuck’s sake. This time it was both Tom and Arthur waving wildly for him to come join them. The news crew was still with them. He forced a smile and remembered to add this to the list of debts his brothers owed him.

"I'm afraid I'm still not presentable. In fact, I was just about to head into hair and makeup..."

"Oh, no! We love the look!" the reporter grinned. "So raw! So authentic!" Oh, the irony.

"You should see him in lifeguard mode!" Arthur declared.

Sidney shot him a look of confusion and irritation. 

"A lifeguard, CFO, security guard?" intrigued, the reporter raised her eyebrow appraisingly before continuing, "So what do you make of all the stars here today?” 

“Erm… there are stars here?” Sidney asked, desperately trying to think of a distraction. 

“Yes! Didn’t you notice?” she was naming a bunch of people he’d never heard of before. “In fact, just over there, I see the former boy bander Evan Shay!”

The group turned toward that corner of the lobby. Sidney tried not react. Tom and Arthur's faces obviously betrayed their worry. 

Evan must have had extra sensitive hearing because at the sound of his name, he turned in their direction. And recognized Sidney. Fuck. Charlotte’s man servant. What the hell was he wearing? A karate costume? How pretentious. Oh shit, and he’s not happy.

Evan stood, but Diana blocked his way.

“Oh, don’t leave so soon, Evan. I might have to arrest you.”

“I do love our chats, Diana, but I have to go.” Evan feinted left, but then quickly reversed and went right around Diana, as she lunged the wrong way and missed him entirely. He started bolting for the patio doors, plowing into unsuspecting guests, and knocking over a pipe and drape backdrop over poor Diana who got trapped in the fabric.

Sidney ran after him, trying to navigate around the crowd but having to shove them out of the way. Fortunately, Evan was tall and noticeable, and Sidney was fast. People shouted - Sidney wasn’t sure if they were yelling at him or at Evan - and the lobby erupted in confused commotion. Diana clawed her way out of the drapery, but was immediately thwarted by lumbering tourists too shocked and confused to get out of the way quickly enough.

Evan burst through the patio doors and ran outside toward the pool. Sidney was closely behind him, and once outside had much more room to lengthen his stride and reach a full sprint. Evan darted behind a low wall and ran along what appeared to be a service pathway. Not knowing his way, Evan turned down a dead-end and came to a sudden halt. He turned to face Sidney who had easily caught up and was barely winded.

“Where’s Charlotte?” Sidney demanded.

“What?! I should be the one asking you! Aren’t you her security?”

Sidney scoffed. “Bit more than that.”

Evan raised an eyebrow at him and sneered. “I guess you could say the same about me.”

Sidney threw a quick punch to Evan's jaw, mostly to shock him.

“Except she hates you.”

If he had put full force into it, Evan would probably be crying. Even with such a light jab, Evan's head rocked back. 

Evan winced and held his jaw. "Not the face, man! Please!"

Evan lunged at Sidney, mentally thanking his trainer for the fight choreography. Unfortunately for Evan, fights in movies don’t look anything like fights in real life, and Sidney easily caught Evan in a head lock. He then tripped him to land on his side, and handily out-maneuvered him on the ground. Evan was face down, wriggling and flopping, trying to throw Sidney off, but he simply had no leverage. Sidney had one of Evan's arms twisted up behind his back, and pinned him with his knee. By the time Diana caught up to them, Evan was wiped out and compliant.

“What the hell, Evan? Resisting arrest?” she panted. She looked at Sidney. “I’m Sergeant Diana Howard. I’ll take it from here. But you're not dismissed. Stay right where you are.”

"Fine, but I need to know where he's taken Charlotte." Sidney was seething.

Diana leaned down to Evan's face. "Well where is she?"

Evan groaned from the pressure of Sidney's knee shifting to let Diana handle him. "I don't know! I came _here_ to find her. He's the one who should know."

Frank, Will, Clara and Esther were now running up, and everyone seemed to be yelling. He also just noticed the news crew was there and had their camera fixed on the scene. The reporter looked like she needed a cigarette. Oh, great here came Tom and Arthur.

"Diana," Evan wheezed. "Warn Charlotte about your suspect. She needs to know."

Diana pulled out her radio and called for backup from her associates.

What a shit show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Bursting with fruit flavor" is a line I shamelessly stole from 'Reality Bites' which is the quintessential 90s movie. And I know some of the fandom loves the 90s as much as I do.  
> *Gi (pronounced gie with a hard g) - as seen on Henry Cavill here: https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/wp-content/uploads/henrycavill.png  
> And on Keanu Reeves here: https://jitstycoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Keanu-Reeves-BJJ2.jpg


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👋 Hi everyone! Hope everyone's doing well, and excited that soon there will be another TV series featuring our favourite brooding actor, Theo James. The Time Traveler's Wife sounds fantastic and hopefully will be wonderfully produced. In the meantime, I've been enjoying so many great stories from the fan fic writers. Thanks to all who keep up the Sidney and Charlotte love going by adding more stories and interpretation of the original material!
> 
> So I'm pretty nervous about posting this chapter. I know there are some wild theories about the story, and I'm super flattered that some of you think I'm that clever. I didn't set out to write such a mystery, and I'm afraid somehow I've given the impression this was a Keyser Söze situation. (If you haven't seen The Usual Suspects, I'd recommend putting that on your list of must-sees.) So I hope you like it, and please be gentle. 😬

A sharp throbbing pain slowly raised Charlotte from unconsciousness. She felt it first in her temple and cheek, and then noticed it radiating throughout her head. She was lying on the floor, her body not quite cooperating with the instructions her brain was telling it. She managed to open one eye, but everything was a blur. She breathed in and winced when she realized any movement of her head caused sharp bolts of pain.

She groaned and tried sitting up, but holy shit that was a massive mistake. She just stayed down and kept groaning. Oh, she was so sleepy, so confused. What the hell happened? Did she really drink that much? Her head spun. Now the back of her head was throbbing too. 

Charlotte tried rolling over. Oh, ouch, better not do that. She whimpered. 

“I don’t feel so good,” She was dazed and hallucinating. “Just five more minutes. It’s not even dawn.”

The pain was too great, and she tried touching her face to assess her injury. Her arm felt like it weighed a ton, and her fingers barely moved.

“Oh, don’t do that.” Someone walked up to Charlotte and crouched down. “Better stay down there.”

“Who… the hell are… you?” Charlotte said slurring her words and barely able to get the words out.

“Oh I’m just here to watch over you. Make sure you don’t leave.” The voice belonged to a woman, but Charlotte didn’t recognize it. 

“Do I know you?” She tried turning her head to face her.

“Maybe, maybe not. But I know you,” the voice said. “And I still don’t understand why he wants to be with you.”

Her tongue felt dry and thick in her mouth, and she was barely able to articulate words. Something was coming back to her. Sidney. Where was he?

"Why do you care if we’re in love?”

She managed to get both eyes open and now, she could see who was talking to her. A dark haired woman was peering down at her, with a look of disdain. She looked familiar.

“Oh, so you _do_ love Evan? Well, if you love him, you should leave him alone. He doesn't deserve you!”

Charlotte was thoroughly confused. “Evan?"

There was a knock. Please be Sidney. She heard the door open.

“Christ, Eliza, what took you so long?" Oh, good. Eliza's here.

"For fuck’s sake, Zara, what did you do?”

“I did what we’ve all wanted to do for a long time. Look, just help me keep her until Evan gets here. He’s not fucking answering his phone, and he’s supposed to be here.”

“Evan? You’ve been talking with _Evan Shay_?! Oh, you've really lost it now.”

“Eliza, I thought you hated this bitch?”

“I do, but I just wanted her to stay away from Sidney! You’re the one obsessed with Evan. I don’t give a shit about them.”

“Then why did you dye your hair and post all those pictures pretending to be her? I thought you were trying to lure him here!”

“What?! No, I was trying to make her out to look like trash! Bitch couldn’t just stay in London, she _had_ to come here and steal Sidney.”

“Christ, Eliza,” Zara rolled her eyes. She was sick of Eliza’s constant self-absorption. Zara was finally getting time with the man she idolized for 15 years, and all Eliza could do was whine about the one that got away. “This again. You only want him because he doesn’t want you. Why are you still pining over him?”

“Why are you still pining over Evan? We’re not 12 any more, Zara!”

“He asked for _me_ , Eliza. _I’m_ helping him! I’ve been helping him for years, but now he's actually acknowledging it!”

“’Helping’ him? How? By being a batshit crazy stalker?”

“Oh don’t condescend to me! You were the one that sent her those photos.”

Charlotte’s head hurt so bad, and she was trying desperately to keep up with the argument, but she felt like she needed to rewind to the knock. 

“Wait, who sent the photos?" Charlotte slurred. She was so confused. 

The two women stopped arguing. Eliza pointed at Charlotte and looked at Zara with disbelief.

“You roofied her?! You’re absolutely crazy!”

Zara gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s just a sleeping pill. She’ll go back down in a sec.”

And she was right. Charlotte closed her eyes, overwhelmed by fear, pain and disorientation.

"Help me get her into the closet."

"What?? No! I'm not a part of this, Zara!"

"Oh, so after all I've done to help you, you won't help me. You know, you're a shitty friend."

"Because I won't be part of a kidnapping?" Eliza scoffed. "Piss off, Zara! I'm leaving."

"You leave this room and you'll be the one accused of kidnapping," Zara said, jumping in front Eliza. "You're the one who tried to catfish that guy by posing as her! You're the one who tried to make Henry the next Lindbergh baby! It won't be hard to link you to all this too."

Eliza gave Zara a hard kick in the shin and as she doubled over in pain, she kneed her in the face, knocking Zara's head back. Eliza grabbed the room phone, and dialed the operator. 

"Call 999. We need help in this room," she said, and hung up.

* * *

It took about 1.2 seconds of consideration before Sidney decided looking for Charlotte superseded any need to comply with Sergeant Howard.

“I need to go find Charlotte,” he called over his shoulder as he dashed off, past his family and friends, leaving everyone dumbfounded. The news camera panned to follow him as he ran back into the lobby. He forced his way through the crowd that was now gathered against the windows and staring out at the action. The crowd parted and he looked awkwardly at everyone staring curiously and admiringly. He pressed past the onlookers, and headed to Charlotte’s room.

As he turned the corner, toward her room, he saw a familiar mop of curly, brown hair bounding down the hall in the opposite direction.

“Charlotte!” Is she over-caffeinated and playing with him again? Oh, the trouble she was about to be in. He sprinted after her. “Hey! Come back here!” She broke into a full sprint and just about to leap into the elevator at the far side of the hall, when he caught up and grabbed her from behind.

“You had me so worried…” he scolded, turning her toward him. But instead of her big brown eyes laughing back at him, he was looking at…

“Eliza?? What the fuck?”

“Ow, not so rough, Sidney!”

“What the hell are you doing? Did you dye your hair to look like Charlotte?” he gripped Eliza’s arms, barely containing his anger. His was baffled at the change in her appearance - not just her new dark hair colour, but also the face piercing was gone, as was the heavy eye makeup.

“Oh piss off! Why would I want to look like that plain jane?” she barked back.

“Where is she?” He was now trembling, and shoved her away before he would do something regrettable. 

"You should probably go back. You might be able to help."

He didn’t bother to respond, ran back to Charlotte’s room, and let himself in.

“Charlotte!” Before him, she lay on the floor, as a startled Zara was dragging her by the feet towards the wardrobe. Zara panicked, dropped Charlotte's feet, and tried to bolt past him toward the door. Which, of course, was pretty dumb.

All he did was shoot his hand out, and she was pinned against the wall. She struggled, tried kicking him, but coincidentally, Sidney had _just_ covered blocking kicks in class that afternoon. 

“You’re Eliza’s friend, Zara, aren’t you?” he said, his voice close to a shout. “She put you up to this?”

Zara scoffed. “Why does everyone think I’m Eliza’s sidekick?! I have my own mind and my own plans, you know!"

Charlotte woke at the noise, and again flinched in pain.

"What did you do to her?!" Sidney instantly let Zara go, and ran to Charlotte's side. Zara took her chance and sprinted out from the room.

"Charlotte, are you awake?" Her face was red and beginning to turn purple along her cheek. "Can you open your eyes for me?" Sidney tried to keep his voice calm, but the worry and fear were coming through. "Charlotte!"

She winced. "Not so loud please." He held her eyelids open to check her pupils. She recoiled.

"Charlotte, I need you to wake up. I think you've been drugged."

"These are the worst drugs ever."

He set her down gently and ran to get water and one of the cold drinks from the refrigerator. Setting the cold bottle against her cheek, he tried to prop her up enough to sip the water.

"Charlotte. Please have some water." He was panicking, realizing she likely had a concussion in addition to being drugged. 

"Do you know where you are?"

"My room."

"Where's your room?"

"Uh... I don't know."

Shit. 

"Charlotte, do you know what day it is?"

Long pause. "Um, Tuesday?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"I'm so tired. Can we talk later?" she closed her eyes, and frowned.

"Hey, hey, stay with me." His voice was urgent and he squeezed her hands. He had failed her. He promised to keep her safe, and he fucking failed. And now she was hurt, and he was panicking that she had a traumatic brain injury. "Can you tell me my name?"

She didn't respond.

"Charlotte!" he was scared. He tapped her good cheek and squeezed her hand. "Please stay awake." 

Again, he forced her lids open, and she pulled her head back. 

"Don't, please. The lights are so bright in here."

"Charlotte, what's my name?" 

She slowly opened one eye and squinted. Sidney had a look of alarm in his eyes. She closed her eyes again.

"Shouldn't you know your own name?"

"Charlotte, don't play right now! Who am I?"

The cute one. The hot one. Oh yeah, she made out with this one.

"Love of my life." She opened her eyes. "I'm so glad your here, Sidney. Everything hurts right now, so if you don't mind, I'd like to do a hard restart if that's ok."

"No no, don't go to sleep right now. I need to talk to you." He laid down on the floor next to her, so he could get closer to her. "Please look at me."

His dark intense eyes were fixated on hers, his brow furrowed in concern. He held her hand to his chest so she could feel his inhalation and exhalation. Her lids drooped and she was drifting.

"Focus, Charlotte. I need you here."

"I am here."

"No, I need you here with me all the time." He pressed her hand into his, and held it against his lips. 

Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she looked at him, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"What are you saying?" she wrinkled her forehead.

He gave a slight smile and thought carefully.

"I love you, and I don't want us to be apart any more. You're all I think about and I care too much for you." His eyes softened, and his smile belied a tenderness and vulnerability that Charlotte hadn't seen before - in him or in anyone. "You already live in my heart. Do you think you can live with me here?"

In that moment, everything was in focus - everything she could and couldn't see and the way it all needed to be.

"Don't look at me like that," she replied. 

His body relaxed a bit. "Like what?"

"You know what you're doing."

"Do I?" he smiled back at her.

"Don't make me fall deeper in love." She closed her eyes again, and she mumbled, "My heart isn't used to it."

"Charlotte, stay awake. Stay with me."

Stay with him.

As he was attending to her, the door burst open, and a throng of people came through. Esther and Clara came running in, and immediately descended on Charlotte. Will and Frank had Zara by the arms, and Tom, Sergeant Howard and another officer followed behind. 

"We saw her running out of the room, and figured she shouldn't get away," Frank quipped. 

"She was the one holding Charlotte in here. I think she's drugged her, and probably gave her this shiner on her face."

Zara was fighting back as Diana and the other officer took her out of the room. Charlotte flitted in and out of sleep, opening her eyes just long enough to be reassured by Sidney's gaze. Before long, medics arrived, and she was taken away by ambulance. 

* * *

Charlotte was released from hospital later that night. She had a concussion, though not considered serious, and would probably have a massive bruise on her cheek for a week or so. Fortunately, she hadn't broken anything in her fall, and the strike on the head left a swollen spot but nothing more. The drug she had been given turned out to be Ambien, likely slipped into her drink when she wasn't paying attention.

Now that Evan and Zara were both in custody, Diana had the unenviable job of trying to sort through all their lies, each of them trying to pin the blame on the other. Zara's deep obsession with Evan had been uncovered awhile ago by the detectives, but when Evan's publicist began the blitz of Shaywood pictures and fake stories, Zara's long held infatuation triggered a sharp descent into delusion.

With the escalation of Zara's online activities, the detectives managed to get access to old messages from social media, and there they found evidence linking Zara back to the photos, odd gifts and mysterious messages left for Evan and Charlotte back during their time together. And according to her purchase history with an online florist, she had sent white roses to many of Evan's exes, with creepy notes and veiled threats. It was all generally ignored over the years, as Evan's handlers would tell him having a stalker meant he'd really achieved an enviable level of fame. 

Meanwhile, Zara continued to push her story that Evan was the mastermind. He contacted her and instructed her to hold Charlotte. Zara had proof through texts and DMs, she claimed. And the unrelenting pressure from Jane the publicist had driven him to reach out to Zara (and other crazed fans, as it turned out) to find Charlotte and make her his again.

It was all pretty messy, but what was clear to Diana was that Charlotte was just another addiction to Evan, and Zara was just his dealer.

None of that mattered to Sidney though. He wanted Charlotte safe at his home, maybe hopefully their home, so he could take care of her.

That wasn't exactly what all the friends and family had in mind. They all converged on Sidney's flat to ensure Charlotte was ok.

Oddly, it turned into an impromptu social scene, but suddenly Tom hushed the group. "Hey, our story is on the news right now!"

He turned on the tv, and everyone gathered around. 

> “Troubling news tonight for former pop idol Evan Shay who found himself on the wrong side of the law. In a dramatic scene at a resort in the town of Sanditon, Shay was caught on camera by our news team in a confrontation with hotel security. After a short but exciting chase worthy of one of Shay’s upcoming films, he was taken down as you can see in this incredible video, evading a police officer."

Shaky video showed Evan, running across the lawn. The cameraman then must have dropped the camera as he was running to catch up, and then refocused on Evan just as he was lunging at Sidney.

> "We still don’t have official word if Shay was actually arrested, or what the charges may have been. Our cameras were escorted away shortly after this video was taken. Shay has recently been in the spotlight amidst rumours he and ex-wife Charlotte Heywood have reunited. In fact, the resort is undergoing massive rebranding under the guidance of Heywood, who is a hotel consultant. We spoke with Sanditon Resort and Spa general manager Tom Parker:
> 
> "‘We are very concerned for Mr. Shay’s well-being and hope everything turns out the best for him. And while this was certainly an unexpected outcome for today, we do not foresee there to be any interruption in the weekend's agenda.’
> 
> "Shay wasn’t scheduled to make an appearance at the resort’s reopening, but many have speculated he’s there as Miss Heywood’s guest. Others seem to think she is with the man who tackled Shay in the video, Sidney Parker, who has a puzzling multi-hyphenate role at the resort as CFO, life guard, and apparent security detail."

The footage of Sidney standing up from taking Evan down was slowed down, the camera zooming in slightly as Sidney’s gi pants pulled taut against his bum. Frank and Will erupted into laughter as Esther and Clara stared at the screen, mouths agape.

> "However, no one has seen Ms Heywood, and she did not appear to be present for the dramatic events this afternoon. All this didn't seem to put a damper on this weekend's festivities - as a massive culinary party is still scheduled for tomorrow evening, and a yacht regatta slated for Sunday.
> 
> "No word yet from Griffiths and Hankins Pictures, which is producing Shay’s next movie.”

The room immediately began chattering. Tom was beaming at the free publicity. Frank and Will were ribbing Sidney about his tight white pants and the close, slow ogling shots the editors used in the report. 

Finally, Sidney had enough. He still hadn't been alone with Charlotte since the medics came, and he needed to be with her.

"Everyone out! Charlotte needs rest and so do I."

When at last the flat was empty but for the two of them, Sidney brought Charlotte a fresh ice pack and sat down with her on the sofa. She flinched as he gently applied it to her cheek, and then gradually relaxed.

"I didn't get a chance to answer your question," she said apologetically.

"It's ok," he smiled back. "We can talk later."

"Now - or later - it doesn't matter. I'll be here. I want to always be here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Add to my list of completely innocuous internet search strings: "roofies" and "what does it feel like to be roofied." 
> 
> Totally doesn’t look suspicious at all, especially when combined with “celebrity stalker," “Theo James,” and “Ambien availability in UK.” Yeah, I’m gonna need you guys to vouch for me that this is all for research. Thanks!


End file.
